The last step is obviously configuring the computers you want to have access to your network wirelessly to use the encryption key you configured, otherwise they will be blocked out of your network.

For that, simply click on the wireless network icon on the task bar (one of the small icons near the computer clock) and select your network from the list that will be shown (see Figure 6). To make sure the correct kind of encryption is enabled, double check to see if “WPA2” is listed for your network. In our case, our network was called “Gabriel,” see how WPA2 is being listed for this network.

By the way. Change the default network name (SSID) if you haven’t done so. If you use the router’s default name (e.g., “linksys”) you may end up having several networks with the same name on the same area, making it confusing to identify which network is yours from the list of detected networks.

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Figure 6: Selecting the network.

After selecting your network and clicking on “Connect,” the operating system will ask you to enter the network key (that random 63-character word) two times. You only have to do this on the first time the computer connects to your network, after that the computer memorizes the key.

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Figure 7: Entering the encryption key.

That’s it, now you are safe to use your network and can sleep better at night!