Table of Content

Using Windows WLAN Turning on hardware switch and wireless radio o Lenovo o HP Network Systray icon states Connecting to a new wireless network How to access your home router Pocket guide for Wireless LAN connectivity from home and hot spots Home network connectivity Connection stages Wireless LAN connection issues Internet connection issues Connectivity issue from Hot spots

Pocket Guide for Windows WLAN

How to use and troubleshoot Windows WLAN for Windows 7

Using Windows WLAN

Connecting to a WLAN network Turning on hardware switch and wireless radio
Lenovo* and Hewlett-Packard* systems have different steps when it comes to turning on the wireless radio. Before proceeding, please verify which system you are using.

Lenovo
Step # 1 Task Before turning on the wireless radio, please make sure the hardware switch is ON. The hardware switch is located at the front of the notebook on the lefthand side corner. If the button is showing green on the left, then it is ON. If not, push the button the other way to turn it ON. Please note: If you are using X301, the hardware switch is at the back of the notebook. For T410, the hardware switch is on the right-hand side. 2 2a.Confirm the hardware switch is ON. 2b. Use FN+F5 to turn on the wireless radio (if applicable).

2c. Click the Radio On button to turn on the wireless radio.

Once the wireless radio is turned on, Windows WLAN will detect and connect to an available wireless network. The Network Systray icon change to indicate the connection. will

Hewlett-Packard
Step # 1 Task The hardware switch is located between the F4 and F5 keys. If the wireless signal is orange, tap on it and it will turn blue, indicating that the hardware switch is on. Once the hardware switch is turned on, the following message will pop up saying the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is on. If it does not appear, find the HP Assistant icon on your system tray and right-click on it to turn on the radio. Once the wireless radio is turned on, Windows WLAN will detect and connect to an available wireless network. The Network Systray icon change to indicate the connection. will

Network Systray icon states

If you move the mouse over the Network Systray icon, you can see more information on the status. Name Description WiFi off. The WiFi adapter does not transmit or receive while it is off.

Searching for WiFi networks: The WiFi adapter searches for any available WiFi network. The icon is a blue spinning wheel. WiFi networks found: There are available WiFi networks but WLAN is not connecting. Connected to Intel WLAN Profile: When connecting to Intel WLAN profile, the network name will be referred to as corp.intel.com. The icon is all white. Connected to non Intel WLAN profile: When connecting outside of Intel, the network name will be the SSID of WLAN connection. The icon is all white. Connecting via LAN only. When connecting to LAN connection, the network name will be referred to as corp.intel.com. The icon will be a computer monitor with a plug.

Failure to connect: If there is a failure to connect, Windows 7 will prompt. Click Troubleshoot problems and follow the wizard. Windows 7 has enhanced troubleshooting capabilities for self-help.

Troubleshooting Windows WLAN Connecting to a new wireless network

Below are the steps to take when creating a new wireless profile: Step # 1 2 Task Turn on the wireless radio if it is off. Click on Systray icon Select the requested network and click Connect.

If prompted for password, type it in and click Ok.

Once connected, the profile will be kept to auto-reconnect in the future.

If you are still unable to connect to Windows WLAN, please contact the Technical Assistance Center (TAC).

How to access your home router

If you are unable to remember the security settings for your router, proceed with these steps: Step # 1 2 3 Task Refer to the manual that comes with the router. Connect to the home network with a network cable to avoid disconnections if changes need to be implemented on the router. Open your Internet browser and surf to the router admin site, which is an address noted in the manual. If you dont have the manual, take the following steps: 3a: Click on Start> Run, then type CMD. 3b: Once the DOS prompt appears, type ipconfig and see what the address is for the default gateway. The default gateway will be your router admin site. On the browser, enter http://<defaultgatewayaddress>. Once you have accessed the router admin, look for Security or Wireless. Clicking on one of those buttons should provide you with the security settings.

4 5

For more information related to connecting wirelessly outside of Intel, please refer to Wireless LAN connectivity from home and hotspots in this Pocket guide.

Pocket guide for Wireless LAN connectivity from home and hot spots
For more information and updates, please refer to Remote WLAN connectivity.

Home network connectivity

Before proceeding to basic troubleshooting steps in this guide, take the following actions:

Step # 1 2 3

Task Reboot the router, usually by unplugging and plugging the power cord. Restart the machine. If this fixes your issue, connect to Cisco AnyConnect VPN*. If not, proceed to the next steps in this guide.

If you are having connectivity concerns with AnyConnect VPN. Please refer to AnyConnect Pocket Guide that is located at Start->Programs->Cisco->Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client>AnyConnect Pocket Guide before contacting the Technical Assistance Center (TAC)

Connection stages
There are 3 basic stages for connecting successfully. Stage 1. Wireless LAN connection Task This is when your notebook establishes connection with the router. The final action of a successful connection is getting an IP address on the local network. Ability to surf the Internet using an Internet browser.

2. Internet connection 3. VPN connection to Intel network

Ability to surf to Intel intranet sites such as circuit.intel.com, and mail connectivity (Outlook* shows you are connected and you can receive new mail messages).

If you are successful during stages 1 and 2, then your issue might be related to AnyConnect VPN. Please refer to AnyConnect Pocket Guide that is located at Start->Programs->Cisco>Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client->AnyConnect Pocket Guide before contacting the Technical Assistance Center (TAC) If you are unsure of stages 1 and 2, then go to the sections called Wireless LAN connection issues and Internet connection issues in this Pocket Guide

Wireless LAN connection issues

Step # 1. Configure the security Task Use WPA-PSK instead of WEP encryption. This is the recommend setup. WPA (Wireless Protected Access) is a WLAN standard. It should be listed in the security options in the router configuration. PSK (Pre-Shared Key) is the sub-category of WPA. This is the password. Using WPA-PSK is less error-prone than WEP and significantly more secure. WEP can be easily cracked while WPA-PSK cannot be. Also add the PSK should be complex enough to avoid guessing or easy cracking. Do not use an easy to guess passcode such as your name or home. Do not use simple password such as 1234 If it does not help, remove any security ("Open"), just to see if you can connect. This will show if the issue is with the security protocols.

2. Temporarily disengage security protocols and check network name (SSID). 3. Using SSID

Do you use an illegal network name (SSID), such as one with spaces or bad characters? Some older routers do not block using bad characters. Change the SSID to something simple to see if this is the issue. Remove any proprietary vendor features. These are nonstandard features some vendors offer as a competitive advantage. Look for names like "Turbo," "Boost," "Special," or "unique MIMO," in the radio configuration of the router. Disable them and see if it helps. Check for interference from other routers. Are there other WLAN networks in range? You can see them in the Windows WLAN main interface. Check what channel the other network is on. If it is the same as your own router, change the channel of your home router.

4. Disable vendor features.

5. Change your routers channel.

6. Disconnect home appliances. 7. Check available

Check for interference from home appliances devices such as a microwave oven or cordless phones near the router. Turn the suspect device off and see if it helps. Sometimes the radio connection is fine, but the client

IP addresses.

8. Upgrade your routers firmware.

fails to get an IP address from the router (DCHP). Windows WLAN will tell you that the problem was failure to receive an IP address. Check the configuration of DCHP in your router. You may be out of addresses. Go to the vendor's web site and look for the most recent upgrade. Upgrade instructions and software is available from the vendors web site. If your router is very old (45 years) and does not even have a firmware upgrade, consider getting a new router. Try to use the Windows WLAN client instead of Windows WLAN. If it works, you can escalate and use for the time being. Open the Windows WLAN interface and click Advanced > Use Windows to Manage Wi-Fi. If you have WPS (Wi-Fi Provisioning/Protected Setup), it could be configured to allow new clients to connect only per administrator approval or an ad-hoc password given by the process. Disable this feature if you did not intend it to be so. Some routers have this feature in hardware There is a button on the router you need to press to authorize new clients.

9. Switch control to Windows WLAN switch

10. Disable administrator approval protocol.

Internet connection issues

Step # 1 Task Check if other computers at home connect successfully to the home network and/or the Internet. If yes, skip to step 2. If not, then contact your ISP for support. Connect your notebook to LAN. If the connection is successful, skip to step 3. If the connection is not successful, something is wrong with your whole network stack or with the port/network you are trying to connect to. Abort this procedure here. Verify your wireless adapter has received an IP address. Check the Windows WLAN interface or type ipconfig in the command line window. If you do not see an IP address, see the section for Wireless LAN connection issues. See if the issue is with web browsing only. If you fail to surf to any web site, open command prompt and ping www.yahoo.com (for example). If it is successful, then maybe your web browser is mis-configured. Launch Proxyman, or manually change the proxy settings to none.

Connectivity issue from hot spots

When you are trying to connect from places other than home (such as from the airport, a restaurant, or hotel), these tips will be handy: Step # 1 Tip To connect to a new network, let Windows WLAN prompt you that a new network was detected and follow the steps. If you are uncertain how to create a profile, go to the section Connecting to a new wireless network in this Help Guide. If you are trying to connect to VPN after youve established the WLAN connection and fail, open the Internet browser and attempt to surf. Most locations require going past a welcome page to get connectivity. If the connection incurs charges, use iPass*. iPass is a WLAN aggregator. That means Intel pays iPass and iPass pays the WLAN ISP. This is much cheaper for Intel and easier for you. For information about iPass, visit Intel Software Supply. If you are still unable to connect, ask the person next to you if they are experiencing the same issue. You could also ask the locations WLAN support person for assistance. Here is an advanced issue: if the IP address of the local network is 10.x.x.x (x=any digit) and the subnet mask is 255.0.0.0, then you will not have access to many Intel intranet locations, including Exchange (e-mail). No workaround on the client. The router configuration must be changed.