Newbie Wireless Question

I have a laptop which came with WinXP Home plus a Wireless card. I never
used the wireless, since the computer has been exclusively at home. At some
point in the past, I dimly recall doing something to remove the Wireless so
its icon no longer appeared in the lower right hand corner of the screen.



Now I plan to travel with the laptop and want to be able to access wireless
networks on the road.



I tried to reactivate and configure the wireless card. I need advice.



Here's what I've done:



I clicked start | settings | network connections | wireless connection



I see a dialog box with a message that "Windows cannot configure this
wireless connection". It goes on to suggest that I click on "change
advanced settings", and then click on the resulting checkbox for "Use
Windows to configure my wireless network settings".



I do so, and the wireless icon now appears with an X through it. I also get
a message to the effect that there are no wireless networks in range (quite
possibly true where I live), and that I should make sure my wireless switch
is turned on.



Question - How/where is the wireless switch accessed?



Follow-up question- If I get the system working, what are the bare minimum
security settings I'll need for use in public areas.





What/where is this switch?




--

PT

PT wrote:
> I have a laptop which came with WinXP Home plus a Wireless card. I
> never used the wireless, since the computer has been exclusively at
> home. At some point in the past, I dimly recall doing something to
> remove the Wireless so its icon no longer appeared in the lower
> right hand corner of the screen.
> Now I plan to travel with the laptop and want to be able to access
> wireless networks on the road.
>
> I tried to reactivate and configure the wireless card. I need
> advice.
> Here's what I've done:
>
> I clicked start | settings | network connections | wireless
> connection
> I see a dialog box with a message that "Windows cannot configure
> this wireless connection". It goes on to suggest that I click on
> "change advanced settings", and then click on the resulting
> checkbox for "Use Windows to configure my wireless network
> settings".
> I do so, and the wireless icon now appears with an X through it. I
> also get a message to the effect that there are no wireless
> networks in range (quite possibly true where I live), and that I
> should make sure my wireless switch is turned on.
>
> Question - How/where is the wireless switch accessed?

You access it in whatever way the manual for whatever wireless switch you
have tells you to (manual) - or you don't at all if it is not *your*
wireless switch unless the owner of the wireless switch give s you the right
to do so (and you would still access it per the manual's instructions.)

It is not necessary - for most - to access the wireless switch in the manner
you seem to be asking about in order to connect to a wireless network.

> Follow-up question- If I get the system working, what are the bare
> minimum security settings I'll need for use in public areas.

You have the system working in-as-far-as you can without a wireless system
to connect to.

> What/where is this switch?

Where ever the owner of said switch (whatever brand it may be) decided to
put it is "where". As for what - whater the owner of said switch decided to
purchase, install and configure. (Go to a place that sells computer
networking equipment (Wal-Mart, SAMs, Target, Circuit City, Best Buy, Office
Depot, Office Max, Sears, etc...) and look at the Wireless Access Points
they sell by LinkSys, D-Link, NetGear, etc. That is what we are talking
about here in most cases.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
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