Going Wireless with Windows XP
Wireless network connections provide users with
unprecedented mobility. The ability to tote a notebook PC from place to place
(and yet access a network and remain productive) has transformed both personal
and business computing. However, mobility has its problems. Accessing the
Internet from a popular coffee house typically uses a different network than
your corporate office. This means you may need to create a separate wireless
profile to access each location that you frequent. As you move from location to
location, access is a simple matter of selecting the corresponding wireless
profile. Here, we’ll show you how to configure a secondary wireless profile
under Windows XP and older Windows versions.
Profiles With Windows XP
Windows XP provides a straightforward method for
configuring a wireless network adapter. Start your setup process within range of
your desired wireless access point, such as a branch office, library, or other
wireless location. Open your Network Connections dialog box. You can access
Network Connections by clicking Start, My Network Places, and View Network
Connections. As an alternative, you can click Start and Run, type
control ncpa.cpl in the Open field, and click OK. Right-click the entry
for Wireless Network Connection and select Properties.
Once you see the Wireless Network Connection Properties dialog box, click the
Wireless Networks tab. In the Wireless Networks tab, click an Available Networks
entry that represents the next profile that you need and click Configure. When
the configuration is finished, click OK. The new profile should appear in the
Preferred Networks area. For added security, you may also configure WEP (Wired
Equivalent Privacy) for the new profile. As you move from area to area, select
the appropriate wireless network connection.
Using WEP. Wireless network devices are basically radios that
transmit and receive your important data. Consequently, it’s possible for
another station to eavesdrop on your network connection, possibly compromising
sensitive information. Wireless devices generally employ WEP encryption
techniques to establish a secure connection with the access point. To use WEP,
select an entry in the Preferred Networks area and click Properties. Click the
Association tab and enable/configure WEP as required by your access point. You
may need to contact the wireless network administrator to obtain any WEP key(s)
needed.
From Smart Computing Magazine