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Wireless connections
You can connect to the Internet without connecting a wire to your computer by setting up a wireless access
point or residential gateway. A wireless access point does not connect you to the Internet directly. Instead,
it connects to a wired connection such as a cable modem, a DSL modem, or a phone line.
Certain types of wireless connections, such as wireless LAN (the IEEE 802.11 standard), are being used to
connect to an access point.
To connect to an access point, you will need several pieces of information. You will need to know the
network name (obtain this from your administrator), and your MAC address (which should have come with
your computer or wireless networking card). You may also need to set up encryption. Contact your
administrator for your network name and encryption settings. You may need to register your MAC address
with your network administrator before connecting to your company network. A residential gateway is the
consumer version of an access point. Consult your residential gateway instructions for setup.
Be careful to disable the wireless function when you are not using it because it uses power even when you
are not connected to the network. Some models have an integrated Wireless LAN antenna and hardware.
If your computer did not come with integrated wireless, you can purchase a PC Card as an option. Wireless
LAN gives you a high-speed connection to an access point.
If your computer comes with the built-in wireless LAN or wireless WAN card, refer to
Making wireless LAN
connections
and
Using wireless WAN connections
for more information. If your computer has the
Integrated Bluetooth features and/or is equipped with the Certified Wireless USB, refer to
Using Bluetooth
and
Using Certified Wireless USB
for more information.
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