With Wifi enjoying an increase in popularity and more Wifi spots emerging, more and more people are beginning to enjoy connecting to the Internet from any area that has a connection such as this. People are also finding that setting up their own Wifi network at home is quite easy, as most Wifi routers now come with push-button installation features, which make things even simpler to configure. Finally, the freedom that wireless Internet access allows is one of the best selling points for upgrading or adding additional hardware to your home computer.
A wireless adaptor is a device that gives your existing computer the ability to connect to a wireless network at a relatively decent speed. With a wireless adaptor, you can say goodbye to pesky wired Internet connections and useless clutter found in the back of your computer. When you purchase your own wireless adaptor, be sure to check the instructions. Many manufacturers these days are making it increasingly easier to just install the product, configure it to work and have you up and running in no time. In many of the more recent laptop models, the wireless adaptor has become the standard, and companies such as HP have laptops, which allow you to turn the wireless adaptor on at the simple push of a console button.
If you are running Windows XP, you may have a bit of configuration to do. First, when you remove the wireless adaptor from its packaging, do not throw the instructions away. Use this as a last ditch point of reference, should anything go wrong during the installation. You wireless adaptor should also have come with some software used to run it, including the hardware and software drivers needed to make it work. If your wireless adaptor did not come with an installation CD, don t panic: Windows XP has its own built-in drivers that may work with your wireless adaptor.
Insert your wireless adaptor into the appropriate docking bay, and Windows XP should be able to detect the fact that you have added a new piece of hardware to the system. Many wireless adaptors these days operate on the Plug and Play principle, so as long as you plug the hardware into the right slot, you should be fine. Follow the installation instructions on screen and you should be able to successfully install your wireless adaptor.
On the software side, clicks the Start button, then Connect To, and then show all connections. You should be able to see your wireless connection appear in the window. Right click that connection and click properties. This will then take you to a menu where you will be able to configure your IP address settings as well as any Security settings you might want in place. More importantly, if you are in a Wifi zone, this option can be used to search for any and all available wireless networks that you can connect to. Wireless adaptors can also be configured to connect to wireless networks automatically. If you re looking to save yourself some trouble, tick this option and your wireless adaptor will constantly scan for available wireless networks, which it can join.
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