Back to Contents

# Wireless Network Overview

About Wireless Networks
What do I need to Set up a Wireless Network?
Wireless Networking Basics

- What is a Wireless Network Management Utility?
- Network Name
- Profiles
- Security
- Identify a Wireless Network
- Select a Wireless Network Mode

How do I Turn My Radio On and Off?

## About Wireless Networks

A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connects computers without network cables. Instead, computers use radio communications to send data between each other. In a WLAN, a radio communications device called an access point or wireless router connects network computers and provides Internet or network access. You can communicate directly with other wireless computers, or connect to an existing network through a wireless access point.

When you set up your WiFi adapter, you select the operating mode for the kind of wireless network you want. You can use your Intel(R) PRO/Wireless Network Connection adapter to connect to other similar wireless devices that comply with the 802.11 standard for wireless networking. In this Help, a wireless network is also referred to as a WiFi network.

## What do I need to Set up a Wireless Network?

The most common type of wireless network is an infrastructure network. To set up an infrastructure network, you need the following:

- A wireless router.
- A wireless network adapter for each computer that you want to connect to the wireless network.
- If you want internet access for your WLAN, you also need broadband internet service such as cable or DSL. This includes a broadband modem.

## Wireless Networking Basics

### What is a Wireless Network Management Utility?

The WiFi connection utility is a wireless network management utility. It helps you manage your wireless connections. It can help you initially set up your wireless connections and then easily manager those connections, opening and closing connections and managing security as required. Some computers also ship with Microsoft Windows Zero Configuration, which is another wireless network management utility, and you should not use both of these tools. This is because network settings you create with one utility are not applied if the other utility is managing wireless connections. We recommend that you pick one tool to manage wireless connections, and stay with that.

See Use Microsoft Windows* to Manage WiFi* and also see Get Connected.

### Network Name (SSID)

Every wireless local area network (WLAN) uses a unique network name to identify the network. This name is also called the Service Set Identifier (SSID). When you set up your WiFi adapter, you specify the SSID. If you want to connect to an existing WLAN, you must use the name for that network. If you set up your own WLAN, you can make up your own name and use it on each computer. The name can be up to 32 characters long and contain letters and numbers. The SSID or network name is assigned at the access point or wireless router.

### Profiles

A profile is used to manage your computer's connection to a WLAN. A profile is a collection of settings that determines how your computer connects to the WLAN. These settings (the profile) are saved on your computer and are used each time you connect to that WLAN. The profile includes all of the network information and security settings. Different profiles are created for different WLANs. For your computer, each WLAN will have its own profile to manage connection to that WLAN. Using the WiFi connection utility, the profiles for your computer are displayed in the Profiles list. From the WiFi connection utility main window you can create, edit, and remove profiles.

### Security

Some WLANs are open or unsecure networks, and some are secure networks. A secure WLAN limits who can access the network. There are different levels methods of security. The WiFi connection utility can easily help you set up a security method for your WLAN.

Common security methods for WLANs use keys or passwords, where the computer requesting access must provide the key or password to get access. WLANs can also use encryption to encode the data. With encryption, before a computer transmits data it uses a secret encryption key to scramble the data. The receiving computer uses this same key to unscramble the data. If you connect to an existing network, use the encryption key provided by the administrator of the wireless network. If you set up your own network, you can make up your own key and use it on each computer. The WiFi connection utility can help you do this. The security method used by your computer to get WLAN access is stored in the profile. See Security for more helpful information.

### Identify a Wireless Network

Depending on the size and components of a wireless network, there are different ways to identify a wireless network:

- The Network Name or Service Set Identifier (SSID): Identifies a wireless network. All wireless devices on the network must use the same SSID. This is probably the most common method.
- Basic Service Set (BSS): Consists of two or more wireless nodes, or stations, which have recognized each other and have established communications.
- Broadcast SSID: An access point can respond to computers sending probe packets with the broadcast SSID. If this feature is enabled on the access point, any wireless user can associate with the access point by using a blank (null) SSID.
- Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID): A unique identifier for each wireless device. The BSSID is the Ethernet MAC address of the device.
- Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID): A special case of SSID used to identify a wireless network that includes access points.
- Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS): A mode of operation in an 802.11 system that allows direct communication between 802.11 devices without the need to set up a communication session with an access point.
- Independent Basic Service Set Identifier (IBSSID): A special case of SSID used to identify a network of wireless computers configured to communicate directly with one another without using an access point.

### Select a Wireless Network Mode

Wireless networks can operate with or without access points, depending on the number of users in the network. Infrastructure mode uses access points to allow wireless computers to send and receive information. Wireless computers transmit to the access point, the access point receives the information and rebroadcasts it to other computers. The access point can also connect to a wired network or to the Internet. Multiple access points can work together to provide coverage over a wide area.

Device-to-Device mode, also called ad hoc mode, works without access points and allows wireless computers to send information directly to other wireless computers. You can use Device-to-Device mode to network computers in a home or small office or to set up a temporary wireless network for a meeting.

## How do I turn my Radio on and off?

You will need to turn the WiFi adapter radio off (and on) on different occasions. For example, you may be required to turn the radio off when boarding an airplane. You can also turn it off to conserve battery power.

There are three methods to turn the radio on and off:

- Using the wireless radio hardware switch (may not be present on all computers).
- Using the WiFi On / WiFi Off button in the WiFi connection utility.
- Using Windows.

Remember that to connect to wireless networks, the wireless radio needs to be turned back on. If you are unable to connect to a wireless network, verify that your radio is turned on at both the hardware switch and the WiFi On / WiFi Off button in the WiFi connection utility.

See Turn the Radio on or off for more information.

Back to Top

Back to Contents

Trademarks and Disclaimers