1<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
2      xmlns:if="http://projectmallard.org/if/1.0/"
3      xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its"
4      type="topic" style="task"
5      id="net-wireless-connect">
6
7  <info>
8    <link type="guide" xref="net-wireless" group="#first"/>
9    <link type="seealso" xref="net-wireless-troubleshooting"/>
10    <link type="seealso" xref="net-wireless-disconnecting"/>
11
12    <revision pkgversion="3.4.0" date="2012-02-19" status="outdated"/>
13    <revision pkgversion="3.10" date="2013-12-05" status="final"/>
14    <revision pkgversion="3.18" date="2015-09-28" status="final"/>
15    <revision pkgversion="3.33" date="2019-07-17" status="candidate"/>
16
17    <credit type="author">
18      <name>GNOME Documentation Project</name>
19      <email>gnome-doc-list@gnome.org</email>
20    </credit>
21    <credit type="editor">
22      <name>Michael Hill</name>
23      <email>mdhillca@gmail.com</email>
24    </credit>
25
26    <desc>Get on the internet — wirelessly.</desc>
27    <include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>
28  </info>
29
30<title>Connect to a wireless network</title>
31
32<p>If you have a wireless-enabled computer, you can connect to a wireless
33 network that is within range to get access to the internet, view shared files
34 on the network, and so on.</p>
35
36<steps>
37  <item>
38    <p>Open the <gui xref="shell-introduction#systemmenu">system menu</gui> from the right
39    side of the top bar.</p>
40  </item>
41  <item>
42    <p>Select
43    <gui>Wi-Fi Not Connected</gui>. The Wi-Fi section of the menu will expand.</p>
44  </item>
45  <item>
46    <p>Click <gui>Select Network</gui>.</p>
47  </item>
48  <item>
49    <p>Click the name of the network you want, then click
50    <gui>Connect</gui>.</p>
51    <p>If the name of the network is not shown, scroll down the list. If you
52    still do not see the network, you may be out of range, or the network
53    <link xref="net-wireless-hidden">might be hidden</link>.</p>
54  </item>
55  <item>
56    <p>If the network is protected by a password
57    (<link xref="net-wireless-wepwpa">encryption key</link>), enter the
58    password when prompted and click <gui>Connect</gui>.</p>
59    <p>If you do not know the key, it may be written on the underside of the
60    wireless router or base station, or in its instruction manual, or you may
61    have to ask the person who administers the wireless network.</p>
62  </item>
63  <item>
64    <p>The network icon will change appearance as the computer attempts to
65    connect to the network.</p>
66  </item>
67  <item>
68    <if:choose>
69    <if:when test="platform:gnome-classic">
70    <p>If the connection is successful, the icon will change to a dot with
71    several curved bars above it
72    (<media its:translate="no" type="image" mime="image/svg" src="figures/classic-topbar-network-wireless-strength-excellent.svg" width="28" height="28"/>). More bars
73    indicate a stronger connection to the network. Fewer bars mean the
74    connection is weaker and might not be very reliable.</p>
75    </if:when>
76    <p>If the connection is successful, the icon will change to a dot with
77    several curved bars above it
78    (<media its:translate="no" type="image" mime="image/svg" src="figures/topbar-network-wireless-strength-excellent.svg" width="28" height="28"/>). More bars
79    indicate a stronger connection to the network. Fewer bars mean the
80    connection is weaker and might not be very reliable.</p>
81    </if:choose>
82  </item>
83</steps>
84
85  <p>If the connection is not successful, you may be asked for your password
86  again or it might just tell you that the connection has been disconnected.
87  There are a number of things that could have caused this to happen. You could
88  have entered the wrong password, the wireless signal could be too weak, or
89  your computer’s wireless card might have a problem, for example. See
90  <link xref="net-wireless-troubleshooting" /> for more help.</p>
91
92  <p>A stronger connection to a wireless network does not necessarily mean that
93  you have a faster internet connection, or that you will have faster download
94  speeds. The wireless connection connects your computer to the <em>device
95  which provides the internet connection</em> (like a router or modem), but the
96  two connections are actually different, and so will run at different
97  speeds.</p>
98
99</page>
100