How to Connect to a Wireless Network

These days, you’d be hard pressed to find a laptop that doesn’t come with built-in wireless networking (WiFi). It makes sense: laptop computers are supposed to be used in a mobile manner, being taken from place to place. Rather than having to plug an ethernet cable into your laptop every time you want to get online, WiFi provides a quick and simple way to access the web or a network without wires.

Windows Vista is already equipped to look for wireless networks, so all you need to do is decide which one to connect to. Here’s an easy to follow guide that will get you connected to the Internet using a wireless network in no time at all!

Connecting to a Wireless Network

1. Find the Wireless Network Connect icon in the system tray (next to the time at the bottom right of the screen).
2. Right-click on the icon and select Connect to a network.
   
3. Your computer will do a quick scan and show you all of the wireless networks that are within range. Each item on the list is referred to as an access point, and represents a wireless network that your computer can connect to. If you don’t see any items on the list, click the refresh button at the top right of the list to do another scan. If you still don’t see any access points, make sure that your laptop’s WiFi is enabled (possibly through a switch on the machine or software).
4. Click on the access point that you’d like to connect to and then click the Connect button.
5. If the access point is configured to require a password, Windows will prompt you to enter it. You’ll have to talk to the person who configured your access point for the password if you do not know it. Enter the password and then click Connect
6. If the password is correct, a new window will pop up, letting you know that you have successfully connected to the network. There are two boxes on this window which you may want to fill in.
   1. Save this network: Checking this box will have your computer remember the information about this access point, including the password that you entered.
   2. Start this connection automatically: Checking this box will have your computer automatically connect to this access point the next time you come in range of it, without requiring you to follow the above steps again.