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What is a network?
A network is a collection of devices such as computers, printers, Ethernet hubs, access points, and routers connected
together for communication through cables or through a wireless connection. A network can be wired, wireless, or
designed to have both wired and wireless devices.
How do I find out what type of security my network is using?
•
Contact your system support person.
The person who set up your network usually keeps your wireless information.
•
See the documentation that came with your access point (wireless router).
•
Check the characters of the password that you use to access your wireless network.
If you are not using a password, then choose
None
or
No Security
.
Characters
Security type
Exactly 10 or 26 hexadecimal characters
or
Exactly 5 or 13 ASCII characters
WEP
Exactly 64 hexadecimal characters
or
From 8 to 63 ASCII characters
WPA or WPA2
Notes:
–
Hexadecimal characters are A–F, a–f, and 0–9.
–
ASCII characters are letters, numbers, and symbols found on a keyboard. ASCII characters in a WPA/WPA2
passphrase are case
‑
sensitive.
•
View the security settings on the access point.
1
Open a Web browser. Type the IP address of the access point in the address field, and then press
Enter
.
Notes:
–
To obtain the IP address of the access point, see the documentation that came with it, or contact your
system support person.
–
If you are using a proxy server, then temporarily disable it to load the Web page correctly.
2
Enter the user name and password for the access point when prompted.
Note:
The WEP key or WPA/WPA2 passphrase is not the same as the password for the access point. The
password allows you to access the access point settings. The WEP key or WPA/WPA2 passphrase allows
printers and computers to join your wireless network.
3
Look for the WEP key or WPA/WPA2 passphrase.
How are home networks configured?
For desktop computers, laptops, and printers to communicate with each other over a network, they must be connected
by cables and/or have wireless network adapters built in or installed in them.
Networking
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