Windows Wi-Fi
Microsoft Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 all include a stock wireless client that offers basic connectivity options. The configuration is very similar in each operating system, with only slight differences in the GUI. To access the wireless client, look for the wireless icon that indicates the current network status. If the machine is currently connected, the icon shows a sequence of bars or arcs to indicate the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) from the AP. If it is not connected, the icon will show gray bars and a star or asterisk instead.
You can click the wireless network icon to see a list of service set identifiers (SSIDs) that have been broadcast and discovered. SSIDs that use open authentication and no other security method are marked by a wireless icon with a gold shield with an exclamation mark. SSIDs that use a wireless security method with encryption are marked by a regular wireless icon.
By default, a Windows PC does not have a pre-populated list of SSIDs to use. Over time, it maintains a list of "preferred" network names from SSIDs that you manually connect to or manually define. Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 machines use a process called WLAN AutoConfig Service to scan for a network, using the following sequence of steps:
1. Scan for available networks by transmitting probe requests with a null or empty SSID name. If a preferred network is found, connect to it.
2. Scan for each preferred network with specific probe requests; if one is found, connect to it.
3. Scan for any preferred network that is an ad hoc network; if one is found, connect to it.
4. No known networks are found; present a list of available networks for manual connection.
To connect to one of the listed networks, click its name and then click the Connection button that appears. If the wireless LAN uses a security mechanism, enter the security key or credential when you are prompted to do so. You can configure the machine to automatically connect to the SSID in the future by checking the Connect Automatically check box.
You can manually populate a list of preferred wireless networks or edit their properties. You will need to open the Network and Sharing Center, then add or make changes to a network profile. Theprocedure in each version of Windows is slightly different, so you should perform the appropriate actions:
Windows 7
- Click the Open Network and Sharing Center link.
- Click the Manage Wireless Networks link.
- Click Add.
- Click Manually create a network profile.
Windows 8.1
- Move the cursor to the upper-right corner of the screen.
- Select Settings.
- Select the Set up a new connection or network link.
- Select Manually connect to a wireless network, then click Next.
Windows 10
- Click the wireless icon in the taskbar.
- Select Network Settings.
- Select Network and Sharing Center.
- Select Set up a new connection or network
- Select Manually connect to a wireless, then click Next.
You can enter the network name (SSID) and security and encryption types. You can also specify whether the PC should automatically connect to the network each time the SSID is detected, even if the SSID is not broadcast in any beacon frames. The built-in Windows wireless client does not offer many specific configuration options; however, you might find more options by configuring the wireless adapter. From the Network and Sharing Center, select Change Adapter Settings to display a list of installed adapters. Right-click a wireless adapter and select Properties to display the adapter properties and a list of installed protocols, as shown. Click the Configure button to bring up a window of adapter driver properties. Finally, display the Advanced tab to display a list of parameters and values. The list of parameters varies fro mone adapter to another, depending on what settings the manufacturers offers.
You can verify the status of a wireless connection by right-clicking the wireless icon, then selecting Open Network and Sharing Center. If the machine is connected to a wireless network, you can click the Internet connection. A new window will display the current network state, including IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity, the SSID, the wireless data rat offered, the signal quality, and a count of bytes sent and received. You can click the Details button to see more detailed information.
From the Wireless Network Connection Status window, you can click the Wireless Properties button to access configuration information about the wireless network profile that is in use. The Disable button can be used to disable the wireless network adapter, while the Diagnose button runs a series of tests that can be helpful in troubleshooting connection issues.
Usually it is a good practice to keep the wireless network adapter updated with a current driver version. You can verify the driver version in use by clicking the Properties button, then selecting the Driver tab.
MacOS X Wi-Fi
Apple devices use a built-in wireless adapter and a configuration utility to manage networks that are discovered and manually defined. You can view a list of discovered networks by clicking the wireless icon at the top of the screen. To connect to one of the networks, click its name. You can also turn the Wi-Fi adapter off and on from the links at the top of the list.
To access the wireless configuration utility, select System Preferences, and then select Network. All available network adapters listed down the left side. From this window, you can enable or disable the wireless adapter.
You can also select Wi-Fi and then click the Advanced button to display and edit the network connection configuration. The advanced settings window has seven tabs across the top. The Wi-Fi tab contains a list of preferred networks - SSIDs that have already been configured. The networks will be tried in sequential order; you can change the order by dragging networks up or down in the list.You can create a new wireless network by clicking the + (plus sign) button.
Sometimes you might need to verify the network adapter software version or wireless capabilities. You can do that by clicking the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of the screen. Next, select the About this Mac and the Overview tab. Detailed wireless information can be displayed by clicking the System Report button. In the report output, select Network > Wi-Fi.
Apple iOS Wi-Fi
Apple iPhones running iOS can connect to Wi-Fi networks usinga built-in network adapter and driver. You can view and control the Wi-Fi connectivity by pressing the home button and selecting Settings. Select Wi-Fi to manage the connections. If the device is connected to a network, a check mark will be shown to the left of the network name. You can select a network name and then select the Join or Forget link to connect or disconnect from the SSID. You can also manually define a network by selecting Other at the bottom of the network list. Enter the network name and security parameters, then select Join to connect.
When the iOS device is connected to a network, you can display basic information about it by selecting the network name in the Wi-Fi settings screen. The device will not display detailed information about the wireless adapter and the current RF parameters natively; you have to install a third-party application to do that iOS devices support WPA and WPA2 Personal and Enterprise security and EAP-TLS. Wi-Fi Direct is also supported for impromptu peer-to-peer communication with other devices, without the need for an AP.
Android Wi-Fi
Devices based on the Android operating system use a built-in driver and utility to manage connections to wireless networks. Android devices can discover a list of available networks and can manage manually configured networks too,
First, you should enable the wireless adapter by selecting Settings > Wi-Fi and then sliding the Wi-Fi switch to the on position. You can manage individual wireless connections from the same screen. The list shows the SSIDs of networks that have been discovered, in addition to those that are locally configured. After a network has been learned and connected to at least once, the device will automatically try to use it again in the future.
You can manually add a new network by selecting the Add Wi-Fi Network link at the bottom of the network list. Enter the SSID and security parameters and then select the Save button. After a network has been learned, you can edit its properties by selecting the network from the list with a long-press and then selecting Modify Network Config. You can also delete a network profile by selecting it with a long-press and then selecting Forget Network.
Android natively supports both WPA and WPA2 Personal and Enterprise security. Enterprise security commonly includes Transport Layer Security (TTLS), Protected Extensible Authentication (PEAP), and Tunneled TLS (TTLS). Also, Android devices support Wi-Fi Direct, allowing direct communication with a small number of other devices in a peer-to-peer fashion, without requiring an AP. Although Wi-Fi Direct is derived from 802.11 ad hoc networks, it is incompatible with ad hoc networking because it supports additional negotiation and security features.
You can verify the status of a wireless connection by going to Settings > Wi-Fi. One of the Wi-Fi network names should be listed as "Connected." You can display more information about it by selecting it
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