Setting up a computer network provides connectivity between your Tablet-PC and the Internet, another computer, or a network. For example, with a network set up in a home or small office you can print to a shared printer, access drives and files on another computer, browse other networks, or access the Internet. You can set up a local area network (LAN) using a network or broadband modem cable or set up a wireless LAN (WLAN).
Microsoft Windows provides a wizard to help guide you through the process of networking computers. For more information about networking, see Windows Help and Support.
Connecting a Network or Broadband Modem
Before you connect your Tablet-PC to a network, the Tablet-PC must have a network adapter installed and a network cable connected to it.
Connect the network cable to the network adapter connector on the back
of your Tablet-PC.
NOTE: Insert the cable connector until it clicks into place, and then gently pull the cable to ensure that it is securely attached.
Connect the other end of the network cable to a network connection
device or a network wall connector.
NOTE: Do not use a network cable with a telephone wall connector.
Network Setup Wizard
Windows Vista
Click Start and then click Connect To® Set up a connection or
network.
Select an option under Choose a connection option.
Click Next, and then follow the instructions in the wizard.
Windows XP
Click Start and then click Control Panel.
Click Network and Internet Connections.
Select a network setup task and follow the instructions in the wizard.
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
A WLAN is a series of interconnected computers that communicate with each other over the air waves rather than through a network cable connected to each computer. In a WLAN, a radio communications device called an access point or wireless router connects network computers and provides Internet, or network, access. The access point or wireless router and the wireless network adapter in the computer or Tablet-PC communicate by broadcasting data from their antennas over the air waves.
What You Need to Establish a WLAN Connection
Before you can set up a WLAN, you need:
High-speed (broadband) Internet access (such as cable or DSL)
A broadband modem that is connected and working
A wireless router or access point
A wireless network adapter for each computer or Tablet-PC that you want to connect to your WLAN
A network cable with a network (RJ-45) connector
Checking Your Wireless Network Adapter
Depending on what you selected when you purchased your Tablet-PC, the Tablet-PC has a variety of configurations. To confirm that your Tablet-PC has a wireless network adapter and to determine the type of card, use one of the following:
The Windows Start button ( in Windows Vista) and the Connect To option
The order confirmation for your Tablet-PC
Start Button and Connect To Option
To view your wireless network adapter:
In Windows Vista, click Start® Connect To®View network computers and devices.
In Windows XP, click Start® Connect To® Wireless Network Connection.
If Wireless Network Connection does not appear, your Tablet-PC may not have a wireless network adapter installed.
If Wireless Network Connection appears, you have a wireless network adapter. To view detailed information about the wireless network adapter:
Right-click Wireless Network Connection.
Click Properties.
The Wireless Network Connection Properties window appears. The wireless network adapter's name and model number are listed on the General tab.
The Order Confirmation for Your Tablet-PC
The order confirmation that you received when you ordered your Tablet-PC lists the hardware and software that shipped with your Tablet-PC.
Setting Up a New WLAN Using a Wireless Router and a Broadband Modem
Contact your Internet service provider (ISP) to obtain specific information
about the connection requirements for your broadband modem.
Ensure that you have wired Internet access through your broadband
modem before you attempt to set up a wireless Internet connection (see
Connecting a Network or Broadband Modem).
Install any software required for your wireless router. Your wireless router
may have been shipped with an installation media. Installation media
usually contains installation and troubleshooting information. Install the
required software according to the instructions provided by the router
manufacturer.
Shut down your Tablet-PC and any other wireless-enabled computers in
the vicinity through the Windows Start button( in Windows Vista)
menu.
Disconnect your broadband modem power cable from the electrical outlet.
Disconnect the network cable from the Tablet-PC and the broadband
modem.
Disconnect the AC adapter cable from your wireless router to ensure that
there is no power connected to the router.
NOTE: Wait for a minimum of 5 minutes after disconnecting your broadband modem before you continue with the network setup.
Insert a network cable into the network (RJ-45) connector on the
unpowered broadband modem.
Connect the other end of the network cable into the Internet network (RJ-
45) connector on the unpowered wireless router.
Ensure that no network or USB cables, other than the network cable
connecting the broadband modem and the wireless router, are connected
to the broadband modem.
NOTE: Restart your wireless equipment in the order described below to prevent a potential connection failure.
Turn on only your broadband modem and wait for at least 2 minutes for
the broadband modem to stabilize. After 2 minutes, proceed to step 12.
Turn on your wireless router and wait for at least 2 minutes for the wireless
router to stabilize. After 2 minutes, proceed to the step 13.
Start your Tablet-PC and wait until the boot process completes.
See the documentation that came with your wireless router to do the
following in order to set up the wireless router:
Establish communication between your Tablet-PC and your wireless
router.
Configure your wireless router to communicate with your broadband
router.
Find out your wireless router's broadcast name. The technical term for
the name of your router's broadcast name is Service Set Identifier
(SSID) or network name.
If necessary, configure your wireless network adapter to connect to the
wireless network (see Connecting to a WLAN).
NOTE: The following networking instructions do not apply to internal cards with Bluetooth® wireless technology or cellular products.
This section provides general procedures for connecting to a network using wireless technology. Specific network names and configuration details vary. See Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) for more information about how to prepare for connecting your Tablet-PC to a WLAN.
Your wireless network adapter requires specific software and drivers for connecting to a network. The software is already installed.
NOTE: If the software is removed or corrupted, follow the instructions in the user documentation for your wireless network adapter. Verify the type of wireless network adapter installed in your Tablet-PC and then search for that name on the Dell™ Support website at support.dell.com. For information on the type of wireless network adapter that is installed in your Tablet-PC, see Checking Your Wireless Network Adapter.
Determining the Wireless Network Device Manager
Depending on the software installed on your Tablet-PC, different wireless configuration utilities may manage your network devices:
Your wireless network adapter's client utility
The operating system
To determine which wireless configuration utility is managing your wireless network adapter:
In Windows Vista, click Start® Connect To®Manage wireless networks. Double-click a profile to open the wireless network properties screen.
In Windows XP, click Start® All Programs® Dell Wireless® Dell Wireless WLAN Card Utility.
For specific information about the wireless configuration utility installed on your Tablet-PC, see your wireless network documentation in Windows Help and Support.
Completing the Connection to the WLAN
When you turn on your Tablet-PC and a network (for which your Tablet-PC is not configured) is detected, a pop-up appears in the lower-right corner of the Windows desktop.
Follow any instructions that appear on your screen.
Once you have configured your Tablet-PC for the wireless network that you selected, another pop-up notifies you that your Tablet-PC is connected to that network.
Thereafter, whenever you log on to your Tablet-PC within the range of the wireless network that you selected, the same pop-up notifies you of the wireless network connection.
NOTE: If you select a secure network, you must enter a WEP or WPA key when prompted. Network security settings are unique to your network. Dell cannot provide this information.
NOTE: Your Tablet-PC can take up to 1 minute to connect to the network.
Monitoring the Status of the Wireless network adapter Through Dell QuickSet
The wireless activity indicator provides you with an easy way to monitor the status of your Tablet-PC's wireless devices. To turn the wireless activity indicator on or off, click the QuickSet icon in the taskbar and select Hotkey Popups. If Wireless Activity Indicator Off is not checked, the indicator is on. If Wireless Activity Indicator Off is checked, the indicator is off.
The wireless activity indicator displays whether your Tablet-PC's integrated wireless devices are enabled or disabled. When you turn the wireless networking function on or off, the wireless activity indicator changes to display the status.
For more information about the Dell QuickSet wireless activity indicator, right-click the QuickSet icon in the taskbar and select Help.
Mobile Broadband/Wireless Wide Area Network
(WWAN)
A Mobile Broadband network, also known as a wireless wide area network (WWAN), is a high-speed digital cellular network that provides Internet access over a much wider geographical area than a WLAN, which typically covers only from 100 to 1000 feet. Your Tablet-PC can maintain Mobile Broadband network access as long as the Tablet-PC is within a cellular-data coverage zone. Contact your service provider for coverage of a high-speed digital cellular network.
NOTE: Even if you are able to make a call from your cellular phone in a specific geographical location, that location may not necessarily be within a cellular-data coverage zone.
What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband Network Connection
NOTE: Depending on your Tablet-PC, you can use either a Mobile Broadband ExpressCard or Mini-Card, but not both, to establish a Mobile Broadband network connection.
To set up a Mobile Broadband network connection, you need:
A Mobile Broadband ExpressCard or Mini-Card (depending on your Tablet-PC's configuration)
NOTE: For instructions on using ExpressCards, see ExpressCards
An activated Mobile Broadband ExpressCard or activated Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) for your service provider
An extended whip antenna.
The Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility (already installed on your Tablet-PC if you purchased the card when you purchased your Tablet-PC, or on the CD that accompanied your card if purchased separately from your Tablet-PC)
If the utility is corrupted or deleted from your Tablet-PC, see the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility user's guide for instructions. The user's guide is available through Windows Help and Support (see Windows Help and Support) or on the CD that accompanied your card if you purchased it separately from your Tablet-PC.
Checking Your Dell Mobile Broadband Card
Depending on what you selected when you purchased your Tablet-PC, the Tablet-PC has a variety of configurations. To determine the type of Mobile Broadband card installed on your Tablet-PC, see one of the following:
Your order confirmation
Microsoft Windows Help and Support or My Computer.
Windows Vista
Click Start®Help and Support®Use Tools to view your computer
information and diagnose problems.
Under Tools, click My Computer Information®Find information about
the hardware installed on this computer.
On the My Computer Information - Hardware screen, you can view the type of Mobile Broadband card installed in your Tablet-PC as well as other hardware components.
NOTE: The Mobile Broadband card is listed under Modems.
Windows XP
Click Start®My Computer®View System Information.
Click the Hardware tab.
Click Device Manager. The Device Manager displays the hardware
components installed on the system.
Connecting to a Mobile Broadband Network
NOTE: These instructions only apply to Mobile Broadband ExpressCards or Mini-Cards. They do not apply to internal cards with wireless technology.
NOTE: Before you connect to the Internet, you must activate Mobile Broadband service through your cellular service provider. For instructions and for additional information about using the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility, see the user's guide available through Windows Help and Support (see Windows Help and Support). The user's guide is also available on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com and on the CD included with your Mobile Broadband card, if you purchased the card separately from your Tablet-PC.
Use the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility to establish and manage a Mobile Broadband network connection to the Internet:
Click the Dell Mobile Broadband Card Utility icon on the Windows
desktop, to run the utility.
Click Connect.
NOTE: The Connect button changes to the Disconnect button.
Extend the external whip antenna and adjust orientation to achieve
optimal signal strength.
Follow the instructions on the screen to manage the network connection
with the utility.
Or
Click Start
(or Start in Windows XP)® All Programs®Dell
Wireless.
Select the option for Broadband and follow the instructions on the screen.
Extend the external whip antenna and adjust orientation to achieve
optimal signal strength.
Enabling/Disabling the Dell Mobile Broadband Card
NOTE: If you are unable to connect to a Mobile Broadband network, ensure that you have all the components for establishing a Mobile Broadband connection (see What You Need to Establish a Mobile Broadband Network Connection), and then verify that your Mobile Broadband card is enabled by verifying the setting of the wireless switch.
You can turn your Tablet-PC's wireless devices on and off with the wireless switch on the left side of the Tablet-PC (see Left Side View).
If the switch is in the "on" position, move the switch to the "off" position to disable the switch and the Mobile Broadband card. If the switch is in the "off" position, move the switch to the "on" position to enable the switch and the Dell Mobile Broadband card. For information about the wireless switch positions, see Dell Wi-Fi Catcher™ Network Locator.
Managing Your Network Settings Through the Dell QuickSet Location Profiler
The Dell QuickSet Location Profiler helps you manage network settings that correspond to your Tablet-PC's physical location. It includes two categories of profile settings:
Location Profile Settings
General Mobility Settings
You can use Location Profile Settings to create profiles for accessing the Internet with your Tablet-PC in your office, home, or other public places with Internet services. General Mobility Settings allows you to change the way network connections are handled. The profiles consist of different network settings and equipment that you need when using your Tablet-PC in different locations.
For more information about Dell QuickSet, right-click the QuickSet icon in the taskbar and select Help.
Dell Wi-Fi Catcher™ Network Locator
The wireless switch on your Dell Tablet-PC uses the Dell Wi-Fi Catcher Network Locator to scan specifically for WiFi WLAN in your vicinity.
To scan for WiFi WLAN, slide and hold the switch in the "momentary" position for a few seconds. The Wi-Fi Catcher Network Locator functions regardless of whether your Tablet-PC is turned on or off, in hibernate, sleep, or standby mode, as long as the switch is configured through Dell QuickSet or the BIOS (system setup program) to control WiFi network connections.
NOTE: The Dell Wi-Fi Catcher Network Locator light appears only when the computer is turned off and wireless networking is activated in the system setup program. While working in a Microsoft Windows operating system, the light is designed not to appear.
Because the Wi-Fi Catcher Network Locator is disabled and not configured for use when your Tablet-PC is shipped to you, you must first use Dell QuickSet to enable and configure the switch to control WiFi network connections.
For more information on the Wi-Fi Catcher Network Locator and to enable the feature through Dell QuickSet, right-click the QuickSet icon in the taskbar and select Help.
Microsoft®Windows® Firewall
Windows Firewall provides basic protection from unauthorized access to your Tablet-PC while it is connected to the Internet. Windows Firewall is automatically enabled when you run the Network Setup Wizard.
When Windows Firewall is enabled for a network connection, the Firewall icon appears with a red background in the Network Connections section of the Control Panel.
To access options for enabling Windows Firewall:
In Windows Vista, click Start® Control Panel® Security® Windows Firewall.
In Windows XP, click Start ® Control Panel® Security Center® Windows Firewall.
NOTE: Enabling Windows Firewall does not reduce the need for virus-checking software.
(or Start in Windows XP)