Determining Your Network Type; Connecting To A Wireless Network In Microsoft ® Windows ® Xp - Dell Inspiron 510M Owner's Manual

Determining Your Network Type

NOTE:
Most wireless networks are of the infrastructure type.
Wireless networks fall into two categories—infrastructure networks and ad-hoc networks. An
infrastructure network uses routers or access points to connect several computers. An ad-hoc
network does not use routers or access points and consists of computers that broadcast to one
another. For additional assistance with setting up your wireless connection, go to support.dell.com
and search for the keyword wireless setup.
infrastructure network ad-hoc network
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Connecting to a Wireless Network in Microsoft Windows XP
Your wireless network card requires specific software and drivers in order to connect to a network.
The software is already installed. If the software is removed or corrupted, follow the instructions
included in the user's guide for your wireless network card. The user's guide is available on the Dell
Support website at support.dell.com.
When you turn on your computer, a pop-up appears from the network icon in the notification area
(located in the lower-right corner of the Windows desktop) whenever a network, for which your
computer is not configured, is detected in the area.
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Setting Up a Home and Office Network