Editing How to connect your tablet to the internet using Wi-Fi

The [[Nokia N800|N800]] and [[Nokia N810|N810]] internet tablets can connect to the internet in two ways: through a Wi-Fi wireless router, or through a Bluetooth-compatible mobile phone. Connecting through a phone lets you use the tablet on the move, but this can be expensive and slow on some phone networks. Connecting through a wi-fi router can be free and very fast if you do it at home, though you do have to pay your usual broadband connection bill so that the wireless router has a connection to plug into.

# Give your network a memorable name, so you know which network to connect to on your portable devices. So many people have home wi-fi networks nowadays that you may well see a long list of nearby wi-fi networks when you try to connect to your own.

# You must use some level of security on your network. If you leave the connection without any security, it means absolutely anyone can use it to surf the internet. Not only does this slow down your own internet connection, it also may put you in danger of being arrested because criminals may use your internet connection to do something illegal (and any police traces on such illegal activity would end up at your house).

# Do NOT use the WEP security standard. WEP has become extremely weak over the past few years, and many hackers can break through WEP security in less than one minute. If you use WEP you will become a natural target for hackers.

# A much better security standard to use is WPA, and when your modem/router asks for a security key (called a Pre-Shared Key or PSK) try to use as many letters and numbers as possible. The maximum length is 63 characters, which might sound awkward but remember that you only have to enter this code once in order to connect a device to the wi-fi network. After you've entered it the first time, the device will remember the code for next time.

# For added security, turn down the strength of your wi-fi network signal if your modem/router allows this. The higher the signal strength, the more hackers can potentially hijack your connection.

# Turn on the tablet.

# Click on the connection icon in the status bar (the small dot with circular lines above it).

# Click on "Select Connection".

# Wait while the tablet searches for nearby wi-fi networks. Don't worry if there seem to be lots of them, you may well see the networks of neighbouring houses listed.

# When you see the name of your own wi-fi network, click on it, and click on "Select".

# If you're using WPA, it will ask you for the network's pre-shared key, which you chose earlier. Type this in on the tablet carefully, as it is difficult to spot mistakes in very long passwords. When you've finished typing the key, click on OK.

# The tablet should now connect to the network, and the status bar's connection icon will flash while it does so. When it has connected, the icon will remain white.

# Click on the Connection icon in the status bar (the dot with curves above it).

# Click on "Connectivity Settings".

# Click on "Connect Automatically", and select "WLAN" if you want to just connect to your home wi-fi, "Phone" if you want to just connect through your phone, and "Any" if you want to connect through your home wi-fi or the phone if wi-fi is unavailable.

# If you want to alter how often it checks for new nearby connections, select the appropriate time from the "Search Interval" box.

# If you want the tablet to disconnect after a certain period of not using the internet connection, click on the "Idle Times" tab and select idle times for a wi-fi connection ("WLAN") and a phone connection ("Packet Data"). There's not much point in using the idle times option though, in most circumstances it doesn't really have any practical use.

# When you've finished altering the settings, click on "OK".

# Disconnect the internet if you're using it, by clicking on the Connection icon and selecting "Disconnect" and then "OK".

# In the Connection icon menu, click on "Connectivity Settings".

# Click on "Connections".

# Click on the name of your home wi-fi network, and then click on "Edit".

# A setup box will appear. Click on "Next".

# Click on "Next" again.

# Enter the Pre-Shared Key, then click on "Next".

# Click on "Finish".

* If the wi-fi connection you want to use is unsecured, it means you can use it without entering a password at all. This kind of connection will appear on the list of nearby connections with an open padlock icon. Make sure you have the owner's permission before using such a connection, because it is considered theft in some countries to use another person's wi-fi connection without their consent, even when the connection is unsecured. If you don't ask first, you could be prosecuted for stealing. Whether it's a crime or not, the non-consensual use of someone else's wi-fi connection is often known as "leeching".

* If the wi-fi connection you want to use is secured, ask the owner about how to obtain the key. Secure connections appear on the list with closed padlock icons (one keyhole for WEP-secured connections, three keyholes for WPA-secured connections). Some connections will let you type the access key in just like at home, while others require you to go to a special web page on the tablet's web browser before you can be granted access.