Connecting To A Wireless Local Area Network; Determining Your Network Type; Connecting To A Wireless Network In Microsoft® Windows® Xp - Dell 510D User Manual

Connecting to a Wireless Local Area Network

Determining Your Network Type
Connecting to a Wireless Network in Microsoft® Windows® XP
NOTE: These networking instructions do not apply to networking with internal cards with Bluetooth® wireless technology or cellular products.
NOTE: To configure a wireless computer running the Windows 2000 operating system, see the user's guide that came with your wireless network
adapter.
NOTE: Your Dell QuickSet power management software can disable your wireless card. If your wireless card is not working, see your QuickSet Help by
clicking the QuickSet icon in the taskbar, then clicking Help.

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.
1 infrastructure network
2 a d-hoc network
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 located on your Drivers and
Utilities CD (that came with your computer) in the "User's Guides-Network User's Guides" category. The user's guide is also 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 whenever a network is detected in the area for which your
computer is not configured.
1. Click either the pop-up or the network icon to configure your computer for one of the available wireless networks.
The Wireless Network Connections window lists the wireless networks available in your area.