“Cut the wires.” “Work from anywhere.” “Internet untethered.” The promises of wireless networking are plentiful. Many have come to fruition for corporate users and travelers. Airports, conference rooms, even Starbuck’s can become outlets of your office.

The promise for home users is the ability to put computers anywhere in the house without running wires. However, tapping into that promise can head you down a prickly path.

With all that has been written about the lack of security that an unprotected wireless network provides, I was curious to see how wireless equipment providers handled security. It would sure make sense to me if you could open the box on a wireless networking kit, set up the equipment and know that your wireless home was safe and secure. If security is not enabled on the equipment by default, surely it’s an easy thing to set up, right? The good folks at CompUSA helped me answer these questions by loaning me a set of wireless hardware from a leading wireless manufacturer. Since this is an insight into wireless networks and not a hardware review, the manufacturers name is not important.

According to Dan Barber, store manager at CompUSA in West Des Moines, wireless equipment is the most returned merchandise in the store. Not because it’s defective, but because it can be difficult to set up. I quickly came to understand the issues.

The central device in a wireless network is the “access point,” which sends and receives wireless signals to connect computers and the Internet. The access point connects to a wireless networking card in the computer to create a network. I opened the access point package to find the hardware, a CD and a “Quick Installation” manual. The brevity of the instructions was due to a lack of explanations. They were full of geek-speak terms that only a networking engineer can love. Even the portion on security was a confusing mess of TLAs and FLAs (three- and four-letter acronyms) that left me dazed...and I know this stuff.

Once I played with several combinations, I set up the access point the way the instructions led me. I got geeky on it and checked out the default settings. In the geek terms shown on the settings page, I was broadcasting my SSID and had no access encryption. English translation: my robe was wide open and I forgot to put on pajamas. I was totally exposed.

The system included the security features that I need to lock down my wireless connection, but contained little explanation of what to set for the best security. It was a little like including the pajamas and a robe tie, but not telling me what they’re for.

Wireless will be ready for the majority of home users when the complexity is removed or hidden, but some modicum of security is automatically in place.

In the meantime, don’t despair if you’re still pulled to go wireless at home. If you feel adventurous, go for it. Just remember to set up the security to a level that you can live with. If you have a marker to call in, you could ask a nephew, a neighbor or a network tech from work to give you a hand. Or you could hire a professional to set you up. CompUSA’s Barber says they can do it for as little as $99. Check the Yellow Pages under Computers for other network companies, though many commercial firms don’t do residential work.

In the meantime, keep your pajamas on.