Network Discovery
Connecting to a wired LAN is easy. Just plug the Cat 5 cabling poking out of the wall into the back of the computer, and you are pretty much in business. However, if you connect to a wired LAN in this way, you cannot tell which networks are availablelet alone which ones you can connect toin a WLAN.
As the network professional, of course, you can tell users to which network they should connect. However, if users find themselves in new territorya different office, a public hot spot, and so forthit is helpful to have a tool that allows them to discover which networks are available.
A quick and easy way to check for available networks is through Windows XP. Follow these steps to check for, and connect to, available WLANs:
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Step 1. |
Right-click the network connection icon in your taskbar, and then click View Available Wireless Networks. This calls up the Wireless Network Connection screen shown in Figure 6-2.
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Step 2. |
Under Available Wireless Networks, click the wireless network to which you want to connect.
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Step 3. |
If a network key is required for WEP, do one of the following:
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If the network key is automatically provided (that is, it is derived using 802.1X), leave the Network Key field blank.
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If the network key is not provided, in the Network Key field, type the key. |
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Step 4. |
Click Connect.
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