Have you been thinking about connecting your Windows XP computer to a Wireless network? Maybe you already have a wired network but want to have more freedom with your laptops, so that you can roam around with them and not worry about having a network cable connection. Windows XP makes connecting your computer to a Wireless access point easy. There are only two things you need to get started:

1. A Wireless Access Point (WAP)
2. A wireless network adapter that you can plug into your Windows XP laptop or desktop computer

The Wireless Access Point can act as your only hub, or it can plug into another hub on your network (if you already have one). For example, we have a 7-port hub Ethernet Switch for our desktop computers, and we've plugged in a WAP to the hub so that roaming laptop computers can connect to other computers on the network and to the Internet. This gives us the best of both worlds: the ability to use the laptops anywhere in the house and office, and the speed and reliability of the wired connection.

Check out these steps for connecting your Windows XP to the WAP and the network:

1. Setup the Wireless Access Point. Most of them set themselves up, so you shouldn't need to worry much about configuring them. However, you may need to give it an IP address that matches the ones you use on your network, so check out the instructions. Some wireless access points have their own DCHP servers which will allow them to assign IP addresses to the computers on your network.
2. Plug the wireless network card into your laptop or desktop. Windows XP will detect the wireless network card and install and configure the wireless networking software required to allow it to connect to your Wireless Access Point. Make sure that the wireless network card works with Windows XP. It should say that it works with Windows XP right on the box. We use DLink products and have had no problems with them.
3. Click Start and then click Control Panel.
4. In the Control Panel, open the Network Connections applet.
5. In the Network Connections window, right click on the Wireless Network Connection entry and click the Properties command.
6. In the Wireless Network Connection Properties dialog box, click on the Wireless Networks tab. Notice the Available networks frame. This frame will always list the Wireless Access Points that the Windows XP computer has automatically detected. If your wireless network card and WAP are working correctly, it will show up here. The default name of your wireless network will vary with what brand you're using. Our DLink uses "default" as the default Wireless Access Point name, but we've changed it. Check the documentation that comes with your Wireless Access Point to determine the name they use for your Wireless Access Point.
7. Notice the Preferred networks frame. This will automatically list the networks the machine has detected already. You can also add networks manually if you need to. For most home and home office wireless connections, there is no need to manually add the connection.
8. Click OK to close the dialog box.

In another segment [Wireless Security] we will cover the more advanced configurations that allow you to secure your wireless connection.