Overview

We have tried to make connecting to the Williams Wireless Network as easy as possible, and the instructions on this page should be all you need to get started. Here's what the process will look like:

• Configure your wireless settings (the default settings will work on most machines).
• Associate to an access point with an SSID of Student (or FacStaff).
• Open a web browser.
• Login to the Williams Wireless Gateway with your Novell password.

Read on for details on each of these steps. (Note: examples use "Student" or "FacStaff" interchangeably) If you have problems at any point, please check the FAQ.

Mac users, please skip to the OS X instructions.

Windows XP: Associating to an Access Point

Fortunately, the way your wireless settings are configured by default should work with the Williams Wireless Network. Many machines will automatically associate to an Access Point. You should make sure, however, that you are connected to the correct Williams access point, please follow these steps:

1. Find the System Tray icon in the lower right corner of your screen that looks like 2 overlapping computers. If you have more than one icon, hover your mouse over it and make sure that it says Wireless Network Connection and NOT Local Area Connection (shown in red).
   
2. Right click on it and select View Available Wireless Networks.
3. Double-Click on either Student or FacStaff (depending on who you are) to select it under Choose a wireless network
4. As shown below, you will see a message warning you that you are connecting to an unsecured network. Click on Connect Anyway
5. You May, instead, see a message asking if you want to connect once or set up a profile. Choose to set up a profile and then answer in the affirmative to each question that is asked.
   

At this point your computer should show you a message saying that you have connected to Student (or FacStaff) along with some information about your signal strength. If, for some reason, you failed to connect properly to a Williams access point, please follow the Advanced Configuration steps below. Otherwise, open your web browser of choice and login to the wireless network.

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Windows XP: Advanced Configuration

Fortunately, the way your wireless settings are configured by default should work with the Williams Wireless Network. If you have trouble, however, please follow these steps:

1. Go to "Change advanced settings" or "Properties" for the connection.
2. Click on the Wireless Networks tab tab (shown in red).
3. Next, click on Student (or FacStaff) to select it under Available networks, then click on the Properties button to the lower right. (shown in blue).
   
4. Make sure your settings on this page look exactly like the picture, with the network name (SSID) set to "Student" (or "FacStaff"). None of the boxes should be checked. These should be the default settings on most machines.
5. Click ok to continue.
   
6. At this point, Student (or FacStaff) should be listed under your Preferred networks on this screen. We recommend removing any other access points from this list.
7. Click on the Advanced button.
   
8. Make sure that Any available network (access point preferred) is selected.
9. Uncheck Automatically connect to non-preferred networks.
10. Click close.
    
11. Click the OK button to save your settings (shown in red).
    

Now that you've configured your settings to work with the Williams Wireless Network, return to the top and try to associate to a Williams access point again. If you still have problems, visit the FAQ section.

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OS X: Associating to an Access Point

1. Click on the Aiport menu icon at the top of your screen. Select Student (or FacStaff) SSID as the network you would like to connect to. You should only connect to the SSID tha corresponds to your role.
   

That's it! We've found OS X to be much more reliable with wireless connections than Windows, so enjoy! Continue on to the Logging in section for your last step.

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Logging in to the Network

Once you have associated to an access point, the last thing you will need to do is open a web browser and let it load your homepage or any other webpage. You will be automatically taken to the [Williams College Wireless] gateway. If you are not, make sure your signal strength is ok. If you're still having problems, check the FAQ.

Simply login with your Novell username and password.

After completing the login process, you can use the network as you normally would if you were using a wired connection, with the exception that you need to use secure applications. Read more in the Applications section.

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