HP Presario CQ57-200 HP Notebook Reference Guide - Windows 7 - Page 17

For help in setting up your WLAN, refer to the information provided by your router manufacturer or your ISP. Protecting your WLAN When you set up a WLAN or access an existing WLAN, always enable security features to protect your network from unauthorized access. WLANs in public areas (hotspots) like coffee shops and airports may not provide any security. If you are concerned about the security of your computer in a hotspot, limit your network activities to e-mail that is not confidential and basic Internet surfing. Wireless radio signals travel outside the network, so other WLAN devices can pick up unprotected signals. You can take the following precautions to protect your WLAN: ● Firewall-Checks both data and requests for data that are sent to your network, and discards any suspicious items. Firewalls are available in both software and hardware. Some networks use a combination of both types. ● Wireless encryption-Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) uses security settings to encrypt and decrypt data transmitted over the network. WPA uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) to dynamically generate a new key for every packet. It also generates different sets of keys for each computer on the network. Roaming to another network When you move your computer within range of another WLAN, Windows attempts to connect to that network. If the attempt is successful, your computer is automatically connected to the new network. If Windows does not recognize the new network, follow the same procedure you used initially to connect to your WLAN. Using HP Mobile Broadband (select models only) HP Mobile Broadband enables your computer to use wireless wide area networks (WWANs) to access the Internet from more places and over larger areas than it can by using WLANs. Using HP Mobile Broadband requires a network service provider, which in most cases is a mobile phone network provider. When used with mobile network provider service, HP Mobile Broadband gives you the freedom to stay connected to the Internet, send e-mail, or connect to your corporate network whether you are on the road or outside the range of Wi-Fi hotspots. NOTE: You may need the HP Mobile Broadband Module serial number to activate mobile broadband service. Refer to the Getting Started guide for the location of the serial number. Some mobile network service providers require the use of a subscriber identity module (SIM). A SIM contains basic information about you, such as a personal identification number (PIN), as well as network information. Some computers include a preinstalled SIM. If the SIM is not preinstalled, it may be included with the HP Mobile Broadband information provided with your computer, or it may be provided separately by the mobile network service provider. For information on inserting and removing the SIM, refer to Inserting a SIM on page 8 and Removing a SIM on page 8. For information on HP Mobile Broadband and how to activate service with a preferred mobile network service provider, refer to the HP Mobile Broadband information included with your computer. For additional information, see the HP Web site at http://www.hp.com/go/mobilebroadband (U.S. only). Using HP Mobile Broadband (select models only) 7