Add a computer or device to your network

With Network Magic, a supported computer uses Microsoft Windows 98 SE or later.

A component that connects to a network (for example, a printer, media player, or gaming device).

A name that identifies a wireless network. SSID is an abbreviation for Service Set IDentifier.

A unique number assigned by a manufacturer to a device (for example, a network adapter) to identify it. MAC is an abbreviation for media access control.

A way of helping protect data transmitted over wireless networks. WEP is an abbreviation for Wired Equivalent Privacy.

A way of helping protect data transmitted over wireless networks. WPA is an abbreviation for Wi-Fi Protected Access.

You can use Network Magic to locate your network's WEP/WPA key so you can enter it in the device when prompted. To do this, click on your router in the Network Map, and then click Set up or manage device on the Tasks tab in the Device Properties panel. Then, within the router's management page, locate the WEP/WPA key.

You can use Network Magic to access your routerÆs management page so that you can enable the wireless feature on your router. To do this, click on your router in the Network Map, and then click Set up or manage device on the Tasks tab in the Device Properties panel. Then, within the routerÆs management utility, locate the page that allows you to enable and disable wireless SSID capability.

Add a computer or device to your network

You can easily add a computer or device to your Network Magic network.

If you are adding a computer to your Network Magic network, you may want to install Network Magic on that computer first.

Do one of the following:

Click Add New Device on the Tools menu

Click Network Map and click Add New Device

The Add A Device wizard walks you through adding a computer or device to your network.

Adding a computer or device to Network Magic may require that your network be temporarily unsecured, depending on your network setup. If your router supports the Wireless Protection feature, these changes occur automatically. Otherwise, you may be prompted to make changes manually:

If you are prompted to turn on the broadcast (transmission) of the wireless network name (SSID), you will need to do this before continuing the wizard. When the wizard completes, you should turn off the wireless network name transmission. For more information, see Turn off wireless network name broadcasting.

If you are prompted to disable MAC address filtering, you will need to do this before continuing the wizard. When the wizard completes, you should enable this feature. For more information, see Limit wireless connections using MAC filtering.

If you have encryption (WEP or WPA) set up on your network, the wizard will prompt you at the appropriate time to provide the WEP/WPA encryption key in the appropriate location on the computer or device. The method for entering in the key will vary depending on the computer or device you're adding.

Tip

If the wireless feature is disabled on your router, the wizard will detect this and notify you. Almost all routers have the ability to disable their wireless feature. To add wireless devices to Network Magic, you'll want to enable your router's wireless capability; instructions for how to do this will depend on your router model, so you'll need to check your router's documentation to learn how to do this.

Tip

Network Magic lists any computers or devices found on your network; check the boxes next to the item(s) you want to add and click Add. The new items appear in your Network Map.

If your computer or device is not recognized by the wizard, your device has not yet successfully connected to your network (Network Magic's technology will instantly detect any device with an IP address that connects to the network). Make sure that the physical connections (cables) are plugged in correctly, the device is powered on, and that if wireless, the device is properly configured.

Notes

Using Network Magic, you can quickly scan the network for any newly-connected devices. For information, see Refresh your view of the network.

If you have any problem with this procedure, check Troubleshooting for a solution.