Linksys wireless G router in place, new laptop coming soon

I had an Inspiron 1300 laptop for 2 years which I dropped in January 2008, I might be receiving a new laptop soon to replace it, possibly a Vostro 1510 which is also configured with a Dell wireless g card. My Linksys router, ( Model #WRT54G ) is still connected to everything and has been since I dropped the Inspiron 1300 back in January 2008.

If I do receive a Vostro 1510 will I have to do any reconfigurations to the router or simply power up the Vostro 1510 and begin using my current router? Forgive me for asking but I don't know that much about routers and wireless signals. Will I have to contact Linksys and will Linksys have to assign me a difference series of numbers for the new computer, numbers totally different from the numbers associated with my old computer which I dropped?

Back in 2006 when I got the first laptop my brother sent a guy from his company to set everything up for me, I didn't do a thing except watch. I want to make sure that my signal is still protected so the neighbors can't tap into my signal.

 

You just need to know the password to your wireless network and connect your new notebook.

 

That's it? Since this was set up for me by someone else who no longer works for my brother and since I don't know the password can I call Linksys for assistance? What's the most secure wireless out today? If I get the letters wrong please forgive me. Is it WEP, WAP, WPA? Thanks for your comments.

 

Well, if you don't know your password you'll have to hard reset the router and set everything up again.

Find the little sunken reset button on the back of the router and hold it down with a paperclip for 30 seconds or until the lights all flash in unison. Holding the reset button will reset the router back into factory defaults, thus all the settings and configurations on the router will be wiped clean, then you can connect to the network which will be default, named as linksys and you can connect to that network with out any problem at all, since it will not ask you for any password.

Then, connect your laptop (either one) with a cable to the router, pick Jack #1 closest to the wire coming from the modem to the router.

1. Open-up a web browser.
2. on the address field/bar, type-in the router's no. (e.g. 192.168.1.1) then press enter or click go
3. you'll be prompted for a username and password. by default, leave the username field blank and for the password type-in admin, then press OK.
4. on the Linksys set-up page, click on the wireless tab, and wireless security, on that page you'll find the encryption type and the password. Use WPA2-PSK with a long-ish sentence/phrase that you can easily remember (Like Daisy Duke wears short shorts). Change the SSID at the same time.

Then enter the SSID and passphrase into both your laptops and you're done!

Take care!

 

I must not have made myself clear, I have no working laptop at the moment, I did have an Inspiron 1300 which I dropped back in January 08 and as a result I killed it's monitor. The laptop belonged to my brother who asked for it back in October 08 so I shipped the damaged laptop back to him.

He said he's shipping me a new Dell Vostro 1510 to take the place of the damaged Inspiron 1300, that's why I wanted to know if I needed to do anything different to the router before I attempted to use the Vostro 1510 for the first time. It's scheduled to be shipped to me in early January 09. Thanks for your comments.

 

Yes thats it, easy as that. Assuming the router retained the same settings you had from before. Theres no need to call linksys for assistance. If you do need assistance just post it here. Setting up the router from scratch is fairly easy anyway. I have the same router btw.

Do not use WEP, it can be cracked. WPA is fine, its what i currently use.

WPA2 would be the safest security mode. You have to make sure all your devices is capable of it though.

 

Thanks for the post and if I get the Vostro 1510 and have problems setting the router up I'll come back here to post.

 

Sounds good; see you soon!