HotSpot Hopping

If several hotspots exist in the same general vicinity, you may need to specify the network to which you want to connect. To view the available wireless networks, right-click the Network Connections icon from the System Tray and then click View Available Wireless Networks. Click Advanced to open the Wireless Network Connection Properties dialog box and then select the wireless network’s SSID (Service Set Identifier) from the list of available networks that appear on the Wireless Networks tab.

Click the network you want to connect to and then click the checkbox in front of Allow Me To Connect To The Selected Wireless Network, Even Though It Is Not Secure. Click the Connect button at the bottom of the dialog box to continue. If you aren’t sure which network you want to connect to or you don’t see the network you’re looking for, click the Advanced button. From this screen you can rescan for the available wireless networks by clicking Refresh.

Windows 2000 users don’t have a utility designed to detect and configure wireless networks. As a result you’ll need to use the software that came with your wireless adapter or a software application provided by the wireless IP. For example, if you have Intel’s PRO/Wireless network adapter and the PROSet profile management software, then you can double-click the Intel PROSet icon and select your wireless adapter from the left pane of the General tab. Click the networks tab and click Scan. A list of Available Networks appears and shows you the SSID names of the available networks. Select the network you want from the list and click Connect.