How Does A Wireless Connection Work With A Laptop Computer, And What Do I Need To Make It Work?

If you're using a modern laptop, then you will almost certainly already have a wireless networking card installed by default.

I have to assume that you already have a wireless access point (AP) set up. Generally, if you have a broadband connection with a relatively modern router, then this will also have an AP built into it.

Switching on Your Wireless Networking Card
Normally, PC laptops will have a button next to the keyboard, (or a slider running along the side) which will allow you to switch your wireless card on. Assuming that you're running Windows, look at the system tray down in the right-hand bottom corner of your screen for a Wi-Fi connection icon.

Activating Wireless Networking in Windows
If you cannot see a Wi-Fi connection icon, or you couldn't find a button on your laptop case to turn networking on, then the next step is to check the settings in Windows Vista/7:

1. Click on the 'Start' button
2. Type 'devmgmt.msc' into the search box and hit enter
3. The device manager will now appear
4. Scroll down to 'Network Adapters' and click on the arrow to expand it
5. You should see your wireless device listed. Right-click on it and select 'Enable'

Connecting to Your Wireless Access Point
At this point, you might want to restart your AP, just so you can be sure to clear out any bugs in the system. Once it's back up, you will need to find what's called the SSID.

An SSID is basically the name that has been given to your wireless network, so you will need to find out what the SSID is for your device. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) should have provided you with this information, and often it's printed on a label on the back of your router.

1. Right-click the wireless icon in your system tray
2. Look for the name of your SSID in the list
3. Now click 'Connect'
4. Enter your password - unless it's been changed, this should be printed on the back of your router.