Wireless networking has gained popularity over the past few years. However, it can be a little more difficult to set up - especially if you are completely new to the world of wireless. If you are planning to use wireless networking you will have one of two choices - set up a new wireless network or join an existing one.

Assuming that you have the necessary hardware in place, you can set up a network wireless network in Vista by following these steps:

3. Click Set Up a Connection or Network and then click Set Up a Wireless Router or Access Point. Click Next twice to continue. Vista will detect your network hardware and settings.

6. Vista will assume you want to use WPA- Personal Security. Vista will create a random passphrase for you, or you can enter your own. Enter 10 or 26 hexadecimal digits and enter it again to confirm. Optionally, you can click Create a Different Passphrase for Me to have Windows generate a new one. If you're concerned that someone is peeking over your shoulder, uncheck Display Characters.

7. Next you are required to choose the file and printer sharing options. The default is Allow Sharing with Anyone with a User Account and Password for This Computer. Click Next.

8. If you have a USB-based memory device, you can use it to copy the wireless settings from one computer to another. Windows copies a file containing the settings and an "autoplay&#xu201D; program that will load the settings when you plug the card into each computer. If you do not have a USB memory device, copy the settings manually. Click Next.

9. Click Print Network Settings to get a print out of the settings. Click Next. Windows prompts you to configure your access point and other computers before proceeding.

10.At this point, your Vista computer is configured to automatically connect to your new wireless network when it's up and running.

Your wireless network is not yet ready because you still need to configure your router or wireless access point. This is where your USB-enabled memory device will come in handy. Plug the USB memory device into the router or if you're manually setting it up, use the print out of settings you created earlier to configure the router.

If you have any additional computers that you want to add to the wireless network:

Wireless Networking In Vista Part II

In the previous installment of this article, you learned how to create a new wireless network in Vista using the Wireless Network Setup Wizard. You also learned how to add a computer to an existing wireless network by copying the settings to a USB-enabled memory device.

If your home or small office already has a wireless network in place and you simple want to add another computer to it, you can use the Wireless Network Setup Wizard or you manually add the computer to the network.

1. Double click the Wireless Connection icon in the bottom corner of your screen (also referred to as the notification area).

4. Vista will identify the type of security the wireless network is using. If the wireless network is encrypted, you are prompted to enter the network key. Enter the 10- or 26-digit key that was used to set up the network to begin with.

We here at WorldStart have sold several flash drives in the past and because of that, it seems like I'm always being asked exactly how to use one. I've been told that our flash drives don't always come with the best of instructions, so I thought I'd take the matter into my own hands today and give you a brief overview on how to use a flash drive. They're very easy to use and I think once you're done reading this tip, you'll be well on your way to flash drive freedom. Let's check it out!

The first thing you'll want to do is go to your desktop and double click on the My Computer icon. Leave that open and then continue on with the next step. Next, you need to actually plug the flash drive into your computer. If you use Windows XP or Vista, you don't need any drivers to get the flash drive up and running. Just plug it into one of your available USB ports and your computer will automatically recognize it. A "Found New Hardware" bubble will pop up in the bottom right hand corner of your desktop, so always look for that before you do anything else. On the other hand, if you use an older version of Windows, you'll need to install the driver CD that comes with your flash drive in order for it to work properly.

Now, make sure you have your eye on the My Computer window and when you plug your flash drive in, look there to see where the flash drive goes. More than likely, it will bring up a new drive for you and it will be labeled as "Removable." On my computer, it comes up as "Removable Disk (L:)," but yours could be different, so just keep an eye on it. Once you find the correct drive letter, double click on it and you should see an empty window. (Don't worry, it's only empty, because you haven't put anything in it yet!) You can then go and find the files you want to save to your flash drive and just drag and drop them into the window. That's all there is to it. Once you have all the files you want saved on there, you can then go and put them on another computer or whatever you need to do. Flash drives really are awesome little devices and now you know that using them can be as easy as pie!

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