Connecting to a Wireless Network
With
your wireless network adapters installed and your wireless gateway or
access point configured, you’re ready to connect to your wireless
network. This gives you access to the network’s resources, as well as to
the Internet, if you have a wireless gateway. Again, Windows 7 doesn’t
establish the initial connection to a wireless network automatically.
This is mostly a security concern because a password or security key
protects most wireless networks. However, it’s also usually the case
(particularly in dense urban neighborhoods) that Windows 7 might detect
multiple wireless networks within range, so it’s up to you to specify
which network you want to connect to. Fortunately, you can configure
Windows 7 to remember a wireless network’s settings and automatically
connect you the next time the network is in range. So, in most cases,
you need to run through the connection procedure only once.
Here are the steps to follow to connect to a wireless network:
1. | Click
the Network icon in the taskbar’s notification area. Windows 7 displays
a list of the available wireless networks, as shown in Figure 2. Each network displays three pieces of information:
The left column displays the network name (also called the service set identifier or SSID). The
signal strength, as indicated by the five bars to the right (the more
green bars you see, the stronger the signal). Note that the networks are
in descending order of signal strength. Whether
the network doesn’t require a password or security key. An unsecure
network is marked with a Caution icon above the signal strength.
Figure 2. Click the Network icon to see a list of the wireless networks that are in range.
Note
Some of the networks might be wireless hot spots,
which are locations that allow wireless computers to use the location’s
Internet connection. You can find hot spots in many airports, hotels,
and even businesses such as coffee shops, restaurants, and dental
offices.
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2. | Select the network that you want to use.
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3. | If
you want Windows 7 to connect to the network automatically the next
time it comes within range, activate the Connect Automatically check
box.
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4. | Click
Connect. If the network that you want to use is unsecured—as are many
public hot spots—Windows 7 connects to the network immediately (so skip
to step 5). However, most private wireless networks are (or should be)
secured against unauthorized access. In this case, Windows 7 prompts you
to enter the required security key or password, as shown in Figure 3.
Note
Older
wireless networks use a security protocol called Wired Equivalent
Privacy, or WEP, that protects wireless communications with (usually) a
26-character security key. That sounds impregnable, but unfortunately
there were serious weaknesses in the WEP encryption scheme, and now
software exists that can crack any WEP key in minutes, if not seconds.
In newer wireless networks, WEP has been superseded by Wi-Fi Protected
Access, or WPA, which is vastly more secure than WEP. WPA uses most of
the IEEE 802.11i wireless security standard, and WPA2 implements the
full standard. WPA2 Personal requires a simple pass phrase for access
(so it’s suitable for homes and small offices), whereas WPA2 Enterprise
requires a dedicated authentication server.
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5. | Type the key or password, and then click OK. Windows 7 connects to the network.
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