[Angela]

We've just got a new laptop at work and it has wireless capability....but I don't! Can anyone explain to me how the heck it works because I can't get it to connect. I realise you have to be near a wireless network but is there more to it than that!? Unfortunately the chap who looks after all our IT stuff is on paternity leave so have no-one to ask....pathetic really isn't it?

[Sparhawk]

Originally Posted by Angela

We've just got a new laptop at work and it has wireless capability....but I don't! Can anyone explain to me how the heck it works because I can't get it to connect. I realise you have to be near a wireless network but is there more to it than that!? Unfortunately the chap who looks after all our IT stuff is on paternity leave so have no-one to ask....pathetic really isn't it?

Hi Angela
Like you I have a laptop with wireless capability but have never used it. I do know that you need a card that slots into your laptop to allow it to pick up the signal from the wireless networking modem and {from the problems my yougest son has had trying to set his desktop PC to wireless from cable} it does not seem to be a case of just plug in and go.
I have read {many times on the computing boards }of people trying to get thiers to work there is a lot of fiddling about with settings ect so I for one {at this time} will be sticking to plugging in my cable modem.
i am sorry that I cannot tell you more than this and am thinking that when I give in to wireless I will pay some one to come in and set it up for me
Regards
Sparhawk

[Angela]

Thanks Sparhawk.....I had a suspicion it wasn't going to be straightforward!

[Steve]

If your laptop already has wireless capability built in then you don't need a wireless card to plug into it

However you do need to be able to connect (wirelessly) to something...be that another pc, or a router sending out the wireless signal. This is where your problems begin.

If you wish to use your laptop wirelessly at home then you are going to have to buy a wireless router and set up a home network. From there you would then tell the laptop to connect to your new wireless network (via the router) and it would then be able to share the resources that you make available (probably some file and folder sharing and the more obvious internet connection).

I am guessing that from the way your original question is worded that all this is a little more complicated than you expected though

[sgotwr]

If your laptop was sold as wireless ready it should have the receiver built in, you may not need a expansion card.
Some brands have a switch you have to turn on to enable the wireless function, this caught me when I was tearing my hair out trying to configure a friends Toshiba laptop.
If wireless is enabled, you may have a wireless icon in the taskbar, right click it, from the menu that pops up, select "view available wireless networks".
Highlight the network you want to connect to and click "connect".
You should then be able to browse the net etc.

Your laptop may have third party software to connect to the wireless network,( usually the same brand as the receiver), if it does you will have to read their manual on how to configure it.

sgotwr

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Steve

If your laptop already has wireless capability built in then you don't need a wireless card to plug into it

However you do need to be able to connect (wirelessly) to something...be that another pc, or a router sending out the wireless signal. This is where your problems begin.

If you wish to use your laptop wirelessly at home then you are going to have to buy a wireless router and set up a home network. From there you would then tell the laptop to connect to your new wireless network (via the router) and it would then be able to share the resources that you make available (probably some file and folder sharing and the more obvious internet connection).

I am guessing that from the way your original question is worded that all this is a little more complicated than you expected though

Yes and no....I've now been told that we don't have the wireless router in the office so that's why it won't work. But, given sgotwr's comment............

Originally Posted by sgotwr

If wireless is enabled, you may have a wireless icon in the taskbar, right click it, from the menu that pops up, select "view available wireless networks".
Highlight the network you want to connect to and click "connect".
You should then be able to browse the net etc.
sgotwr

....I can do that but the signal was quite poor so it often can't find any networks or the signal is too weak to connect when it does. (mobile signals are crap round here too.) So does that piggyback me onto someone elses connection?

[Steve]

The second option will use someone else's network yes, but in most cases they will have locked it down and password protected it so that only they can use it. Often people who are new to wireless networks don't know much about security and those are the networks that you are most likely to be able to 'see' and connect to.

[Angela]

Brilliant, thanks all! That's a lot clearer now. We are having a major office refurbishment starting soon and having our own server so will make sure we have the wirelesss router in there somewhere (frightening to think I have to be in charge of the server isn't it!? )

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Angela

Brilliant, thanks all! (frightening to think I have to be in charge of the server isn't it!? )

I am sure that you'll be ok with it Angela. If you get stuck you can always ask on here

[Angela]

You guys could make a fortune in consultancy fees!

[Sonsey]

...The bill's in the post!

[Hacker]

Originally Posted by Angela

Brilliant, thanks all! That's a lot clearer now. We are having a major office refurbishment starting soon and having our own server so will make sure we have the wirelesss router in there somewhere (frightening to think I have to be in charge of the server isn't it!? )

Be careful if you are doing this, I don't know what sort of company you work for but if you have sensitive data I would probably steer well clear of the wireless option as it introduces considerable risk to the business. If you do decide to have wireless make sure it well locked down e.g. change the default SSID's and passwords, you can also set it up to only allow certain MAC addresses, also make sure you have a well published Wireless Security Policy.

Some must do's:

• Change the default admin password of your wireless router/access point/bridge - Once a potential attacker detects a wireless network, this is one of the easiest ways to further compromise it.
• Use MAC address filtering and Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) - MAC address filtering will help restrict access to your home wireless network to only those users you authorize. If WEP is the only security option available on your wireless router/access point/bridge, use a key that is hard to guess and change it periodically.
• Change SSID and, if possible, disable SSID broadcast - Your wireless router/access point/bridge may come with a default SSID already configured. Change it as soon as you set up your wireless network. Also, some vendor's may offer the option of not broadcasting this network identifier.
• Keep your antivirus software up to date.

Hope this helps!

[Angela]

Hacker, thank you very much! I'll print that off and stick it under the nose of our IT consultant when he returns - we are a very small charity but still have some reasonably sensitive information, even if it's not earth shattering stuff.

[Dabhand16]

In the meantime, most Starbucks/Costa Coffee etc have wireless access available. Works out a bit expensive compared to a permanaent arrangement, but if you want to look cool whilst sipping your Latte, it might be worth it.

You can find out where there are access points from searching the internet for 'wifi hotspots'. Also check out Bt Openzone.