Lenovo ThinkPad T550 User Manual page 52

Using the wireless LAN connection
A wireless local area network (LAN) covers a relatively small geographic area, such as an office building or a
house. Devices based on the 802.11 standards can connect to this type of network.
Your computer comes with a built-in wireless network card and a configuration utility to help you establish
wireless connections and monitor the connection status.
To establish a wireless LAN connection, do the following:
• For Windows 7:
1. Press the wireless-radios control key
wireless feature.
2. Click the wireless-network-connection-status icon in the Windows notification area. A list of available
wireless networks is displayed.
3. Double-click a network to connect to it. Provide required information if needed.
• For Window 8.1:
1. Go to the desktop and click the wireless-network-connection-status icon in the Windows notification
area. A list of available wireless networks is displayed.
Note: To display the list, ensure that airplane mode (flight mode) is set to off.
2. Double-click a network to connect to it. Provide required information if needed.
If you want the computer automatically connects to an available network when the location changes, use the
following software to manage multiple network profiles:
• For Windows 7: Use the Access Connections program. For more information, see "Accessing Lenovo
programs on the Windows 7 operating system" on page 14.
• For Window 8.1: Open the Lenovo Settings program and click Location Awareness. For more
information, see "Accessing Lenovo programs on the Windows 8.1 operating system" on page 15.
Tips for using the wireless LAN feature
To achieve the best connection, use the following guidelines:
• Place your computer so that there are as few obstacles as possible between the wireless LAN access
point and the computer.
• Open your computer lid to an angle of slightly more than 90 degrees.
Checking the wireless-LAN connection status
You can check the wireless-LAN connection status through the wireless-network-connection-status icon in
the Windows notification area. The more bars encompassed, the better the signal is.
For the Windows 7 operating system, you also can check the wireless-LAN connection status through
Access Connections gauge in the Windows notification area.
• Power to the wireless radio is off or no signal.
• Power to the wireless radio is on. The signal strength of the wireless connection is poor. To
improve signal strength, move your computer closer to the wireless access point.
• Power to the wireless radio is on. The signal strength of the wireless connection
is marginal.
• Power to the wireless radio is on. The signal strength of the wireless connection
is excellent.
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User Guide
. Then follow the on-screen instructions to enable the