Wireless Network Hardware in Windows 8

After you install a wireless base station or WAP for Windows 8 network, you’re ready to configure your computer for use on your network.
Before installing an internal adapter card
Before you begin installing an internal adapter card, make sure that you
Read the guide. Even if you have already installed an adapter card in your computer, take a few minutes to check the documentation that came with the card.
Collect the big four. Find a Phillips screwdriver, a plastic container to hold any spare parts, a good light source, and some kind of static-free cover for your work surface. (A newspaper always works well if I’m away from my workbench.)
Ground yourself. After removing the cover from your computer, touch the chassis of your computer to dissipate any static electricity escaping onto your body before it can damage the card.
All manufacturers of wireless adapter cards (for desktop computers) and wireless computer cards (for laptops) include their own installation and setup programs – which also establish the necessary wireless connection automatically within Windows.
After installing a new wireless device
While setting up new hardware (or configuring built-in hardware), keep these points in mind:
Choose between ad hoc infrastructure. You may be asked to choose between Custom and Infrastructure mode. You want to choose infrastructure mode (where laptop and PC workstations communicate using a wireless base station or access point) rather than ad hoc (where devices talk directly to each other on a specific channel number that you specify, without a base station or WAP).
Note: If you are trying to connect your wireless device to your existing wired network, you must use Infrastructure Mode.
Check WPA/WPA2 encryption. When prompted for WPA/WPA2 information, use the highest level your computer card supports. WPA2 is designed to automatically fall back to the level of encryption used by your base station or WAP.
Set your own passwords! Base stations, wireless routers, and WAP use your administrator name and password to identify you, and this information often allows remote control. (Read this term as a hacker’s banquet.) Therefore, you should always set your own administrator name and password while configuring your wireless network!
Check your SSID. You need an SSID (short for Service Set Identifier) ​​that matches the SSID your base station or WAP uses. Remember: change the SSID to the unique value you used in your base station or WAP. For the best security, do not use the default SSID!
Keep drivers and firmware updated. Check for the latest drivers and firmware updates from the manufacturer’s website each time you install new hardware — including wireless network hardware.
Make the connection
Microsoft recommends that your wireless base station or WAP broadcast the SSID, as long as you are using WPA/WPA2 encryption in infrastructure mode. This makes everything easier and more automatic, as long as you choose your own SSID. (Do not use the default SSID, or you will leave a security hole in your wireless network.)
With the SSID being broadcast, connecting is as easy as plugging your wireless network card into your laptop – of course, with built-in wireless devices, you don’t need to do anything. Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 automatically find and connect to your network. (The first time you connect, you will be asked to choose your network and provide the appropriate password.)
If you are using a desktop computer with a wireless card, the same process will occur when you log into Windows. On the taskbar you see a notification icon that lets you know that the connection has been made as well as how strong the signal is.