WestConn Wireless Getting Connected Guide

Transcription

1 WestConn Wireless Getting Connected Guide What you need for wireless connection A wireless capable ( b/g) laptop or PDA. Any Wi-Fi certified wireless network card (either built-in or external PCMCIA type) that is capable of supporting b/g standards will work on WestConn s wireless network. We do not recommend any specific brand of wireless card for your laptop or mobile computing device, but we do recommend following minimum requirements for your system: Windows XP (with Service Pack 2), Windows 2K (with Service Pack 3), Macintosh (OS X 10.3 or above), other devices running Windows CE. All critical patches and updates for your operating system. Windows XP upgrade to service pack 2: Click on Start Help and Support Windows Update and follow the instructions, or open Internet Explorer Tools Windows Update. Macintosh: Click on the Apple icon in upper left hand corner of the screen and drag it down to Software Update. Any anti-virus software with latest definitions WestConn s faculty, staff and students can obtain a copy of McAfee software for free at: All other users can obtain a free copy of AVAST software from: Any anti-spy ware software with latest definitions Please visit for list of available free antispyware tools and software. 1

2 How to know if you already have a built-in wireless card To determine if you have a built-in Wireless card or Wired Ethernet, follow these steps: Windows XP: 1. On Windows XP: Select Start > Control Panel. 2. Double-click on System. (If you do not see System, click Switch to Classic View in the Control Panel.) 3. Select the Hardware tab, and click on Device Manager. The Device Manager list is displayed. 4. Click the (+) sign next to Network Adapters. o If you have a WIRELESS card you will see a "Wireless" or "WLAN" entry. Look under the Network Adapters section by double-clicking on it. If your wireless network interface card is listed (e.g. "Cisco Aironet a/b/g Wireless Adapter), it is recognized and its driver software is installed. (NOTE: A "Dialup Adapter" is not a NIC, it is a modem.) The name of your wireless adapter should appear, and there should not be a yellow exclamation point ("!") or a red "x" next to it. The absence of these marks indicates that the adapter is properly installed with the correct drivers and that there are no conflicts. If there is a yellow or red problem indicator next to the adapter's icon, you may have to look at your device guide to troubleshoot the problem, or, if the wireless card is built into your laptop, contact the manufacturer of the wireless card or laptop. If your wireless adapter does not appear, it could mean that it has not been properly installed. Please contact the manufacturer of the wireless card or laptop for further assistance. Macintosh OS X 10.2 and Above 1. Select the Apple menu > System Preferences, and click on the Network icon. 2. Click the Show: field pull-down menu. o If you have a wireless card, you will see an entry for "Airport". o If you have a wired card, you will see an entry for "Ethernet" or "Built in Ethernet". 2

3 How to Enable or Disable the wireless card Western Connecticut State University If you do not need wireless Ethernet access (wired jack nearby, or you don't require net access) and are not plugged into a power outlet, disabling your wireless card will conserve battery power. The more power you can conserve, the longer you can work before you'll need to plug your laptop in to power. IBM ThinkPad T43: Type Fn-F5 and then click Turn Off to disable the wireless card. To reenable the wireless card, type Fn-F5 and click Turn On. IBM ThinkPad T41 & T40: Type Fn-F5 to disable the wireless card. To re-enable the wireless card, type Fn-F5 again. IBM ThinkPad T23: To disconnect, right-click on the wireless Ethernet icon in the bottom right corner of your screen (to find it, hover over the icons until you see the pop-up window illustrated at right). Right-click on the icon and select Disable. To re-enable the wireless card, click the Start button, select Connect To, and then choose Wireless Connection. How to install external wireless card Install your external wireless card according to the instructions that came with it, based on the operating system you are using. Each wireless card comes with a client manager type application that you typically install from an included CD. This application lets you set profiles for different networks that you may encounter. The default profile usually contains the SSID parameter of 'any' which lets you connect to any available wireless access point. This is the setting you should use to access wireless at WestConn. No other profile settings are necessary. Before you attempt to login, check that your profile is correct and that your wireless card is enabled. Also, if the program that you are installing requires you to specify the SSID, then you should use WestConn as the default SSID. Wireless Network Card Configurations These instructions assume you have a computer running Windows XP Professional and an installed wireless network interface card (NIC). 3

4 1. Click on the Start menu, select Control Panel, and double click on Network Connections. 2. Double click on Wireless Network Connection and then click the Properties button. 3. Check to see whether Internet Protocol is listed under connection items. Note: If Internet Protocol is NOT listed, contact Help Desk for support. 4. Under components, select Internet Protocol and click Properties. 5. Select the options Obtain an IP Address Automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically. 6. Click OK and then OK again to save the changes. Connecting to WestConn Wireless Network 1. Take your computer to a WestConn Wireless Hot spot (coverage maps can be found at 4

5 2. Right-click the wireless icon in the System Tray. 3. Make sure your wireless card is enabled. 4. Select View Available Wireless Networks. 5. Select the wireless network with the name WestConn. 6. Check the box next to Allow me to connect to the selected wireless network if it is not already connected. 7. Click the Connect button. 8. Open a web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape) and go to a web page (your web browser may automatically attempt to go to your default homepage). 9. You will be automatically redirected to the WestConn Secure Login Web page. 10. Enter your Windows username and password and press the Login In button 11. After you have logged in, a Web page will appear that confirms your connection to the wireless network with a link to the web page you selected in step 8. 5

6 12. A web browser pop-up window is available to speed up the logout process, but this window is not required to logout of the wireless network. We suggest that you keep the small window open with the logout button. As long as the small window is open and your signal is not broken (should you move outside the HotSpot area), you will remain logged into WestConn Wireless. Note: If you have pop-ups disabled in your browser, you will not see the pop-up logout window. You will still be able to connect and log out of the wireless network without the logout window. The benefit to using this window to log out is that a wireless connection associated with your session is not tied up and will free up resources immediately. Your session will time out only if your system is idle for more than 15 minutes or shutdown for more than 6 minutes. Normally, if everything is set up properly and your network connection is working fine, you can always verify your connection by double clicking the wireless network icon next to the clock. Your connection status will appear. If no WestConn network is showing up in the list to connect in step 5, then follow the steps below: 1. Choose View Available Wireless Networks. 2. From the left column of the Wireless Network Connection window, choose Change advanced settings. 3. In the Wireless Network Connection Properties window, select the Wireless Networks tab. 4. Click on Add to add preferred networks settings. 6

7 5. Type WestConn in the Network name (SSID) field. 6. Click on the Association tab and make sure that IEEE authentication box is not checked. 7. Click on the Connection tab and check the box Connect when this network is in range option. 7

8 8. Click OK and now WestConn will show up on the list of preferred network box. 9. Click the Advanced button and make sure you select the radio button Any available network option. Where to get more help on WestConn Wireless You can always call the Help Desk at or visit the following website: 8