How to Connect to the Wireless Network*

•  Turn off your laptop computer.
•  (If you do not have an internally installed wireless adapter) Insert your wireless adapter card into the cardbus slot of your laptop.
•  Turn on your laptop computer.
•  Connect using the default settings for your wireless adapter card. No special SSID or WEP Key is necessary. Network mode should be infrastructure. No default gateway needs to be set.

If you normally use a different WiFi network with a different SSID, your computer may not find our network automatically. Try opening your wireless settings and starting a new network scan, or changing the settings by going back to your wireless adapter default settings. You may also need to restart your computer after changing the settings.

*At the Headquarters & Burke County Libraries

•  Open your Web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer or Netscape*). Disable any pop-up blockers temporarily.

*If you are using a Mac laptop, you may need to use Firefox as your browser instead of the Mac-default Safari. Firefox can be downloaded from www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/.

•  Enter your PINES Library Card number (numbers only - no spaces) and PIN. If you don't have a library card or don't know your PIN, ask someone at the Circulation Desk to help you. If you are not eligible for a PINES library card, ask someone at the Information Desk to give you a temporary guest log-in account for wireless access.
•  Keep the "log-in successful" window minimized until you are ready to end your Internet session.
•  Enjoy your time online!

*At the Columbia & Lincoln County Libraries

• You may need to ask the staff at one of these libraries for assistance in connections.

How to Troubleshoot the Wireless Network

Q - When I open my Web browser, the log-in page does not come up.

A - Check that your wireless adapter card is properly inserted into your laptop's cardbus slot.

If you still cannot connect to the log-in page, please perform the following steps:

Windows XP/2000 users:

•  On your desktop, go to Start>Settings>Control Panel.
•  Double-click Network Connection.

•  Right-click Local Area Connection and click Properties.

•  Check the TCP/IP box and click Properties.

•  Choose the option Obtain an IP address automatically.

•  Choose the option Obtain a DNS server address automatically.

•  Click OK to exit the Properties window.

•  Click OK until you are out of the Control Panel settings.

When in doubt, restart your laptop.

Windows 98 users:

•  On your desktop, go to Start>Control Panel.

•  Locate and select Network.

•  Locate the TCP/IP protocol and get into its Properties. If more than one TCP/IP protocol is listed, look for the one associated with your wireless adapter.

•  For IP address, select Obtain an IP address automatically.

•  For DNS, select Disable DNS.

•  For WINS, select Use DHCP for WINS Resolution.

•  Click OK until you are out of the Control Panel settings.

When in doubt, restart your laptop.

Q - I have typed in my Username and PIN but cannot log in.

A - Check with a staff member at the Circulation Desk to verify that you have the correct card number and PIN.

Special Notes: Only 802.11b and 802.11g protocols are supported; Bluetooth and other wireless protocols are NOT supported.

Disclaimer: Staff at the East Central Georgia Regional Library are not able to offer assistance in establishing a wireless connection from your equipment. They are not allowed to handle any of your equipment whatsoever. The East Central Georgia Regional Library is not responsible for any changes that you make to your computer's settings and cannot guarantee that your hardware will work with our wireless connection.

Support and troubleshooting pages from laptop/PDA makers:

• Apple users: AirPort support pages

• Windows users: Microsoft how-to page for wireless on Windows XP

• Palm users - palmOne support pages

For in-depth wireless networking information, you can also check into free classes such as those offered by CNET Help.com.