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To establish a connection to a wireless network that broadcasts its SSID,
select it in the Connect list shown in Figure 3, and then click
Connect.
To connect to a network that doesn't broadcast its SSID, click the network
icon in the system tray, and then select Network and Sharing
Center. Click Manage wireless networks in the left
pane. The Manage wireless networks that use (Wireless Network Connection)
window opens, as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4: The Manage wireless networks that use (Wireless Network
Connection) window.
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Click the Add button (green plus sign) to add a network. The
Manually connect to a wireless network window opens. Click Manually
create a network profile. A wizard screen appears that lets you
enter the network name (SSID), identify the type of security (security
scheme) in use and the encryption type, and supply a security key or
passphrase. Figure 5 shows information for a hypothetical network defined for
illustration purposes, with the Display characters checkbox
checked so you can see the actual passphrase. (Ordinarily, this displays as a
string of black circles to hide this information.)
Figure 5: Creating a network profile.
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Check the Start this connection automatically if you're
setting up a wireless home network or office connection so your laptop PC
automatically connects as soon as it's in range. Check the Connect
even if the network is not broadcasting checkbox if SSIDs are turned
off at the wireless router or AP so that you attempt to connect under all
circumstances.
Connecting to an unsecured network is much easier. The only thing you must
know is the network name (SSID), if it's not broadcast. If that SSID is
broadcast, it's pretty much a "click and go" operation.
Next, find out how to set up a wireless router or AP.
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