Setting up a wireless network in the office

Q: My practice uses a bunch of old desktop computers, but we're interested in buying new laptops. One of the benefits of having laptops is that we could take them all over the office, but we'll need to set up a wireless network. I'm not very tech savvy, and I'm not sure of the basics of how to set up a wireless network in our office. Please help.

A: A wireless network can be as simple as connecting your laptops (each with its own Wi-Fi card, which is fast becoming a standard built-in) to a wireless router. With a broadband Internet connection, all your laptops can be connected to the Internet by following the configuration steps in your router set-up, including securing your wireless network from others. It gets complicated when you want to print from the laptops or when you want to connect to an in-house server running your practice management or electronic health record system. You may want to consider contracting with a networking service for your set-up and configuration; after all, you'd refer your patients to a specialist, wouldn't you?