How do I use Wi-Fi?

[Bookworm]

If anyone changes the subject this time I will send him the entire internet as spam.

I have a D-Link Wi-Fi card in my PC-Card slot. I have the software installed. It says it's connected to something, probably the restaurant across the street, but I have no way of knowing.

What software is used to access Wi-Fi? How?

Internet Explorer and FireFox don't have a LAN or Wi-Fi option in the setup and configuration, but ie can dial "only if a network connection is not present". It dials even though a network connection is supposedly present. There is no evidence it even tried to log in to the other network.

Please help me. I am an absolute beginner with Wi-Fi. *All* I really know is that it's supposed to connect to something, somehow. What? How?

What do *you* do when you use *your* Wi-Fi PC Card?

[rkawakami]

Here are the basic things of what's involved with a wireless LAN (local area network):

- your computer has a wireless (aka, WiFi) card which allows communication with...
- a wireless access point (aka, WAP), which in turn...
- is connected to some sort of internet service provider (ISP) via a dial-up modem, cable or DSL line

The WiFi card should have come with the proper drivers/utility programs. If you have followed all of the instructions that were provided with the card, then it should work properly. You say you have done that and are "connected to something". That something is a WAP. If you don't have your own WAP, then you could be poaching the signal from somebody else and in some cases/places that can be illegal. You will need to get your own WAP and connect it to whatever you use to access the internet in your house. If that's a cable modem or DSL, then it's pretty easy. If you are still using dial-up, then that's a little harder to configure.

If you are using Windows XP on the laptop, everything should work right away. To a lesser extent, Windows 2000 also does fine with wireless. If you are still with Windows 98 (or 95), then things get a little muddier. The D-Link software has probably taken control over the wireless settings from Windows and you will be using that program to configure the communication settings; there's usually an icon in the system tray (lower edge of the screen next to the clock) that allows you to access the wireless settings.

There are a couple of things which have to be defined before you can establish a solid link to the WAP; encryption codes and network name (aka, SSID), There's also things to configure in the WAP which allow it to access the internet. There shouldn't be anything you have to configure/change in any browser to allow wireless access.

The best thing I can tell you right now is to read the references I've included below. If you're still confused/un-clear about things, then most likely the easiest route would be for you to have someone in your area help install the equipment and get it configured correctly.

ref: http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/wire ... ldwlan.htm
ref: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredon ... setup.mspx
ref: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1275533,00.asp
ref: http://www.tech-faq.com/setup-wireless-network.shtml

[Neil]

Are you trying to use a PCMCIA wifi card on your 770?

If so, it won't work with the Intel chipset driver that Windows loads by default. I can't think what it is called right now, but there is a registry patch on the Lenovo support download page that prevents the Intel driver from loading. Believe me, I've been there and done that, trying to get wifi working with a 770 series Thinkpad. Once that patch is installed, things will work like you expect them to.

[Bookworm]

Thanks for the links, I'll see what I can find. I have a DSL modem with ethernet hub and WiFi antenna. There are other sources of WiFi in the neighborhood. Will they cause interference?

Thanks for the warning, Neil! I'll check Lenovo's site for the patch!

[Neil]

The other wifi sources in the area "could" cause interference, but probably won't. Your network adapters application, or Windows zero configuration application (if using XP) will identify all the available networks you are picking up. Just choose your access point from those listed and connect to it.