What is a network?
A network is a collection of devices such as computers, printers, Ethernet hubs, access points, and routers connected
together for communication through cables or through a wireless connection. A network can be wired, wireless, or
designed to have both wired and wireless devices.
How do I find out what type of security my network is using?
• Contact your system support person.
The person who set up your network usually keeps your wireless information.
• See the documentation that came with your access point (wireless router).
• Check the characters of the password that you use to access your wireless network.
If you are not using a password, then choose None or No Security.
Characters Security type
Exactly 10 or 26 hexadecimal characters
or
Exactly 5 or 13 ASCII characters
WEP
Exactly 64 hexadecimal characters
or
From 8 to 63 ASCII characters
WPA or WPA2
Notes:
– Hexadecimal characters are A–F, a–f, and 0–9.
– ASCII characters are letters, numbers, and symbols found on a keyboard. ASCII characters in a WPA/WPA2
passphrase are case‑sensitive.
• View the security settings on the access point.
1 Open a Web browser. Type the IP address of the access point in the address field, and then press Enter.
Notes:
– To obtain the IP address of the access point, see the documentation that came with it, or contact your
system support person.
– If you are using a proxy server, then temporarily disable it to load the Web page correctly.
2 Enter the user name and password for the access point when prompted.
Note: The WEP key or WPA/WPA2 passphrase is not the same as the password for the access point. The
password allows you to access the access point settings. The WEP key or WPA/WPA2 passphrase allows
printers and computers to join your wireless network.
3 Look for the WEP key or WPA/WPA2 passphrase.
How are home networks configured?
For desktop computers, laptops, and printers to communicate with each other over a network, they must be connected
by cables and/or have wireless network adapters built in or installed in them.
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