Though the names of specific commands and dialog boxes differ among versions of Windows, the basic procedure for setting up access to a wireless network, and configuring client software, is similar for all. Windows 2000 and XP share the same network settings configuration procedure, while Windows 98 and Me, though similar, impose slight differences. We describe network setup fully in this section.

Windows XP marked the first operating system to include client software for wireless. All older versions of Windows depend on applications provided by wireless adapter vendors.

Providers of wireless adapters offer Windows 98 and Me driver software (some also support Windows 95). These packages also include the vendor-specific client software you'll need to connect to your network. Get started by installing driver software for your wireless adapter from the CD that came with the adapter, or use software you have downloaded from the vendor's Internet site.

In this section, we will describe the procedure for configuring network settings for wireless, as well as setup for one vendor's wireless client software, to illustrate the process. We'll also cover ad-hoc networking setup with the same vendor's client software.

To configure network settings for Windows, follow these steps:

1.	Locate and install the driver for your wireless adapter and operating system.
2.	Shut down your computer and install or connect your wireless adapter.
3.	Restart the computer.
4.	In Windows 2000, choose Start > Settings > Network and Dial-Up Connections > Local Area Connection. If your computer is connected to a wired network, via Ethernet, there may be two Local Area Connection items on the menu. If you have recently added a wireless connection, it will probably be listed as Local Area Connection 2. A tooltip identifies the network connection you have selected. In Windows Me/98, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network, click Configuration and then choose the item that represents your wireless network adapter.
5.	Click the Properties button in the window that appears.
6.	Select the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) item in the Components list. You may need to scroll to find it.
7.	If TCP/IP isn't present, you can add it. Click Add, then Protocol. Click Add again, then choose Microsoft from the list of manufacturers. Under Network Protocols, select TCP/IP and click OK.
8.	With TCP IP installed and selected, click Properties.
9.	If your TCP/IP address is provided by a server (dynamically) as is usually the case, be sure that Obtain an IP address automatically is selected. If you have been given an IP address by your system administrator or ISP, click Use the following IP address and enter the details you have been given.
10.	Click OK to finish editing TCP/IP settings, then click OK and Close.
11.	With network settings complete, you can now join a wireless network using the client software supplied by the wireless adapter vendor. It was installed with the driver software you added earlier. The installer may have placed an icon for the client software in your system tray, or you can access it from the Programs menu.

To join a wireless network, follow these steps:

1.	From the Start menu, choose Programs and locate the folder or application that is named for your wireless adapter or it manufacturer; e.g. Orinoco or D-Link.
2.	Choose the client application (the name will vary with the vendor of your the equipment. For the Orinoco adapter, choose Start > Programs > Orinoco > Wireless Network Settings).
3.	In the Add/Edit Configuration Profile window, click Add to create a new configuration profile for the current network (Home or Coffee Shop, for example).
4.	In the Edit Configuration window that appears next, enter a name for this network profile, e.g. Home.
5.	Leave the Network Type set to Access Point unless you are creating or joining a peer-to-peer network. An access-point network is one managed by a wireless access point or router. A peer-to-peer network consists only of wirelessly connected computers.
6.	Click Next.
7.	Type the SSID (Network Name) of your wireless network, or click Scan to find all available networks, as shown here.
8.	If you chose to scan for networks, select the one you want, click OK and then click Next.
9.	If the network you've chosen uses WEP encryption, click Enable Data Security to activate the WEP fields.
10.	Choose the encryption key type (text or hexadecimal) and enter the key.
11.	Click Next.
12.	Choose whether to turn power management on or leave it off. (The tradeoff is performance vs. battery life if you're using a portable computer. If your computer is powered by electricity, there's no reason to turn on power management. If you're unsure of the right choice, turn it on, use your computer with the feature enabled and determine for yourself whether performance suffers.) Click Next.
13.	If you use multiple wireless networks as you travel with your laptop, you may want to check Renew IP Address when selecting this profile. When you join a new wireless network, your computer must acquire a new IP address in order to communicate with the access point, Internet gateway and other computers on the local network. Renewing your IP address when you change profiles ensures that your settings will be up-to-date when you join the new network.
14.	Click Finish and then click OK.
15.	Test your connection by launching a Web browser.

Ad-Hoc Networking

You can easily create a temporary network of wireless devices by designating one device as the host of the network and connecting other devices to the host, just as if they were joining a network with an access point.

You can use the ad-hoc host as an Internet gateway, providing access to all on the network, or simply as a local host for file sharing or gaming. Though setting up an Internet gateway in this fashion is easy, clients will probably experience slower access than they would with an access point providing connectivity. In other words, saving money by using an ad-hoc network instead of an access point is usually not a good choice.

To set up an ad-hoc network using Orinoco client software for Windows, follow these steps:

In order for wireless computers on a network to communicate, their IP addresses must be on the same subnet. An IP subnet is a range of numbers that create boundaries for your local network. When your network is managed by a wireless access point or router, the access point's DHCP server typically hands out addresses within the same subnet to all members of the network.

Since your ad-hoc network does not have a server to provide addresses, you will need to create a static IP address for each device on the network. Using a private IP subnet, you can assign addresses that are valid only within the local network. For example, start by assigning the computer that hosts your network an IP address of 192.168.0.1, and give each client computer an address in that range (i.e. 192.168.0.2 through 192.168.0.254).

On each networked computer, use a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and be sure that the gateway address field of each is empty. Connect one or more computers to your new ad-hoc network, and give them IP addresses. Once you're satisfied that the network works, you can return to the Wireless Network Connection Properties window to create a key. Then reconnect each client to the network, using the key.