Installing a netgear router

Jen;

Optimum appears to be a cable company. From what I can see on their site they provide no guidance as to how to configure your router. Both pieces of information (and info from the netgear site) lead me to believe that they operate successfully with the factory default configuration in the router.

Currently you probably have an ethernet cable connecting Optimum's modem to one of your computers. That cable needs to connect to the single Internet port on the router instead of your computer. Then connect another ethernet cable to one of the 4 lan or local ports and to your computer. Plug the power into the router. Reboot your connected machine -- Assuming your computer is setup for dynamic addressing it should be working.

If this router is wireless and you have wireless computers to attach -- power on their wireless adapters (built-in adapters have a switch or button). With any luck they will access the internet successfully.

If you have wireless you probably want to change the network name (SSID) from the default name to something like jennet or something else you like.

Now to secure your wireless network, if you have one you need to consult your router's User Guide to see if it supports either WEP or WPA. Likewise check your wireless adapters (could be built in to your computer) to see if they support WEP or WPA. If they all support WPA choose WPA. If not all WPA, if they all support WEP then choose WEP. Wither will require you to configure your router and enter a passphrase. After that is completed you will need to return to your wireless devices and reboot them and when connecting to the network you will have to specifically choose jennet or whatever you named it you will be prompted one time for the passphrase -- enter it. now only computers with the passphrase can access your network.