Gateway M250 User manual

Gateway Notebook
Networking Guide

1
Networking Your Notebook
Wireless networking is the latest advance in
computer communication. With a wireless
home network, you can use your notebook
wherever you like. From the comfort of your
sofa, kitchen, or patio, you can browse the
Internet, send and receive e-mails, transfer files,
and use your printer.
You can even browse the Internet and check
your e-mail when you are away from your home
by connecting to public “hot spots” commonly
available in airports, libraries, book stores, and
coffee shops.
For the computer user on the go, wireless
networking just makes life easier.

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Networking Your Notebook
Wireless networking
A wireless network uses radio waves to communicate. Typically, a wireless
network is made up of an access point, a cable or DSL modem (for Internet
access), and your wireless computers.
An access point is a small electronic device that serves as the central
control point for your network. You connect your modem to the access
point, set up a network connection, then browse the Internet, send
e-mail, share files and folders with other networked computers, and
access other devices, like a printer or scanner.
Buying wireless equipment
For a wireless network you need:
■Your Gateway notebook with built-in wireless networking
■A broadband Internet connection
■An access point
Cable or DSL
modem
Access point

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Setting up your wireless network
Setting up your wireless network
Setting up your wireless network involves three steps:
1Make sure your broadband connection works.
2Set up your access point and network security.
3Set up your notebook.
Making sure your broadband connection
works
Before you change anything about your home setup, make sure that your
broadband connection is working correctly. To test the connection, log
onto the Internet using your current setup. If the connection is not
working, contact your Internet service provider.
Tips & Tricks When you buy your access point, make sure it has:
■IEEE 802.11g support. 802.11g (also known as 54g™)
is the fastest method for wireless communications.
802.11g is compatible with the older IEEE 802.11b
format but not with the competing IEEE 802.11a format.
Make sure that you get the correct format that matches
your notebook.
■DHCP server/dynamic IP address assignment capability
that makes it easier to set up and access your network.
■Internet security features like a firewall to keep intruders
out of your network.
■Wireless security features like SecureEasySetup™ or
128-bit WEP encryption.
If you are not sure what to buy, check out Gateway’s
accessory store at accessories.gateway.com.
Important If you do not have a broadband connection already
installed, make the necessary arrangements with your ISP.
Be sure to find out when the line will be activated. Also
ask your ISP about any specific instructions you need to
follow when you set up your network.

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Networking Your Notebook
Setting up your access point and making
your wireless network secure
A wireless network sends and receives information through radio waves.
This means that another computer outside your network can intercept
the radio waves and take control of your network.
If you do not set up security for your network, a hacker can gain access
to your Internet connection to send spam e-mail and to your hard drive
to download viruses or view your personal data, like credit card numbers,
Social Security numbers, and personal online banking information.
Check your access point documentation for information about installing
it and setting network security.
Setting up your notebook
Naming your computers and workgroup
To identify this computer on the network:
1Click Start, right-click My Computer, then click Properties. The System
Properties dialog box opens.
2Click Computer Name.
3Click Change. The Computer Name Changes dialog box opens.
4Type a unique computer name in the Computer name box. Use a
computer name of up to 15 characters with no blank spaces. Make
sure that your computer name is unique. Your computer name
cannot be all numeric. It must contains some letters.
Important Each computer on your network needs a unique Computer
Name. All the computers on your network need the same
Workgroup Name. You may have already named your
computer and workgroup the first time you turned on your
notebook.

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Setting up your wireless network
5Type a name for your workgroup in the Workgroup box. Use a
workgroup name of up to 15 characters with no blank spaces. The
workgroup name must be the same for all computers on your home
network, and the name must be different than any computer name
on your network.
6Click OK to close the Computer Name Changes dialog box.
Turning the wireless radio on
After you have completed your initial Windows setup, turn on the
wireless radio.
Connecting to your network
After you have named your computer and workgroup and turned on your
wireless radio, you need to set up the network connection on your
computer.
To connect to your wireless network:
1Click Start, right-click My Network Places, then click Properties. The
Network Connections window opens.
2Right-click the Wireless Network Connection icon, then click View
available wireless networks. The Wireless Network Connection dialog
box opens.
Model To turn the wireless radio on or off
Gateway M275 Press FN+ F7 on the keyboard.
Other Gateway
notebooks
Press FN+ F2 on the keyboard. The wireless networking
status indicator turns on when the wireless radio is turned on.

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Networking Your Notebook
3Click the network you created in the Choose a wireless network list,
then click Connect. If you successfully connected to the network, go
to “Testing your network” on page 7.
If you can see the network name in the Choose a wireless network
list but you cannot connect to it, your network is using security. You
will need to modify the security settings for the network in your
notebook.
If your network does not appear in the Choose a wireless network list,
your network is not broadcasting its SSID. This is not an error and
is one way to add security to your wireless network. You will need
to manually add the network to your notebook.
Help and
Support
For more information about connecting to your network,
click Start, then click Help and Support. Type one of the
following keywords in the Help and Support Search box
, then click the arrow:
■connect to an available network
■manually add a wireless network
■connecting to wireless network.

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Testing your network
Testing your network
Now that your home network is set up, log onto your notebook and access
a favorite Internet Web site. If you are unable to connect to the Internet:
■Run the New Connection Wizard
■Make sure that your access point is plugged in and compare the
status lights on the front of the access point with the patterns
described in the access point documentation
■Temporarily turn off any firewall software on your notebook
■Turn off all of the devices, then turn them back on
■Contact your Internet service provider
Using your notebook on your
network
With a network, you can share your Internet connection, drives, and
printers. For information about using your notebook on a network, see
“Using your computer on a network” in Using Your Computer which has
been included on your hard drive. To access this guide, click Start,
All Programs, then click Gateway Documentation.
Adding a desktop computer to
your network
After you have your wireless network up and running, you can add your
desktop computer to your wireless network. To add a desktop computer
to the network, do one of the following:
■Purchase a wireless PCI card or USB adapter for your desktop
computer so it can communicate with your network wirelessly.

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Networking Your Notebook
■Connect your desktop computer to an available Ethernet port on
your access point using an Ethernet cable. You can use this option
only if your access point has Ethernet ports. For more information,
see the documentation for your access point.
Adding a printer to your network
Instead of plugging a printer into your notebook, you can add a printer
to your wireless network. To add a printer to the network, do one of the
following:
■Use a printer that has built-in wireless networking.
■Connect your printer to your networked desktop computer, then
share the printer. For information about sharing printers, see “Using
your computer on a network” in Using Your Computer which has been
included on your hard drive. To access this guide, click Start,
All Programs, then click Gateway Documentation.
■Connect your printer to your access point if the access point includes
a USB or parallel port. For more information, see the instructions
that came with your access point.
■Use a wireless print server.
Troubleshooting your network
You turned wireless networking on, but it takes a while to connect.
■When wireless networking is turned on, it automatically scans for
available connections. The scan can take approximately 30 seconds
to complete.
Your connection on the network seems intermittent or your wireless
network is running slower than you expect.
■The speed of a wireless network is related to signal strength. Signal
strength is affected by the distance between your wireless network
devices, by radio interference, and by interference from natural
obstructions such as walls, ceilings, floors, and doors.

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Troubleshooting your network
If your wireless network is running slower than you expect, you
should check your network signal strength. If you find the signal
strength is low, try moving to a new location to increase the signal
strength.
To check the signal strength of your wireless network:
1Click Start, right-click My Network Places, then click Properties.
The Network Connections window opens.
2Right-click Wireless Network Connection, then click Status. The
Wireless Network Connection Status dialog box opens. The meter
shows the signal strength for wireless networking on your
computer if other computers with the same network name are
within range of your computer.
You are in a wireless network, you can see the network, but cannot
communicate, send files, print, or get to the Web.
■If your access point uses WEP, go to the Windows XP Wireless
Networking Properties window and make sure that both the WAP and
the WLAN in the computer have matching WEP keys.

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Networking Your Notebook
You are in a wireless network, but no available networks are listed in
the Windows XP Wireless Networking utility.
■If the network you are attempting to access does not broadcast its
SSID, you need to request the SSID from the administrator and add
that network’s information into the wireless utility.
■You may want to try entering ANY as the SSID, which will make the
computer try to auto-detect the network.
Your wireless network is listed as a preferred network, but it has an
“x” on it.
■An xmeans your preferred network is not currently available or you
are not currently in range to connect.
Internet Explorer is unable to access the Internet.
■Reset the power on your cable or DSL modem and your access point.
This reestablishes communication between your Internet Service
Provider and your modem and between your modem and your access
point.
■If you previously accessed the Internet through a dial-up modem,
Internet Explorer may not be set up to access the Internet through
a network.
You cannot see other computers on your network.
■Your notebook may not have the same workgroup name as the other
computers on your network. For more information, see “Naming
your computers and workgroup” on page 4.
■If your notebook was previously connected directly to your cable or
DSL modem, and your ISP requires you to use a static IP address,
your notebook is not set up to use a DHCP server.
You cannot connect to your network.
■If your notebook is a member of a domain at your workplace, you
may not be able to connect your notebook to your home network
workgroup to access shared files or printers on your home network.
You may, however, be able to access the Internet through your home
network.

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Troubleshooting your network
Important wireless information
Caution If your notebook was a member of a domain before you
join a workgroup, it is disjoined from the domain and your
computer account disabled. Contact your company
computer department or network administrator for more
information.
Warning Radio frequency wireless communication can interfere with
equipment on commercial aircraft. Current aviation
regulations require wireless devices to be turned off while
traveling in an airplane. IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11g
communication devices are examples of devices that
provide wireless communication. For more information,
see “Turning the wireless radio on” on page 5.
Important See “Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information” in your
notebook user guide for general wireless regulatory and
safety guidelines.
Important Note any antenna placement constraints in the access
point user guide as the speed of a wireless network is
related to signal strength. Signal strength is affected by the
distance between your wireless network devices, by radio
interference, and by interference from natural obstructions
such as walls, floors, and doors.

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Networking Your Notebook
Notices
Copyright © 2005 Gateway, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
7565 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine, CA 92618 USA
All Rights Reserved
This publication is protected by copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of it may be reproduced
or transmitted by any means or in any form, without prior consent in writing from Gateway.
The information in this manual has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate. However,
changes are made periodically. These changes are incorporated in newer publication editions.
Gateway may improve and/or change products described in this publication at any time. Due to
continuing system improvements, Gateway is not responsible for inaccurate information which may
appear in this manual. For the latest product updates, consult the Gateway Web site at
www.gateway.com. In no event will Gateway be liable for direct, indirect, special, exemplary, incidental,
or consequential damages resulting from any defect or omission in this manual, even if advised of the
possibility of such damages.
In the interest of continued product development, Gateway reserves the right to make improvements in
this manual and the products it describes at any time, without notices or obligation.
Trademark Acknowledgments
Gateway and the Black-and-White Spot Design are trademarks or registered trademarks of Gateway,
Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. SpotShop, Spotshop.com, and Your:)Ware are trademarks of
Gateway, Inc. Intel, Intel Inside logo, and Pentium are registered trademarks and MMX is a trademark
of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, MS, MS-DOS, and Windows are trademarks or registered trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation. All other product names mentioned herein are used for identification
purposes only, and may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

MAN NETWORKING USR GDE R4 5/05