Connect Laptop or Desktop to Wi-Fi and Troubleshoot Connection Issues | Dell US

A Wi-Fi network name (SSID) is the name that your wireless router broadcast (like a radio station) that allows you to identify your wireless router from your neighbors.

The SSID that your wireless router has when you take it out of the box must be changed during the initial setup using the CD that came with the wireless router, it must be between 1 to 32 characters long. It is case-sensitive, which means when you decide on the SSID you have to put it in each computer exactly as it was put in the router.

It should not include your address, name, or anything else that will identify who you are.

A Wi-Fi security (network) key is similar to a door key, it protects yourself from unknown people getting on your wireless network.

Below is a list of the three types of wireless security that is offered for home and small business users and their strength in relation to the others.

It is recommended that the wireless network be configured with the highest level of security that the wireless devices have in common.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

Low protection

WEP is one of the original security types. Every home-wireless router supports WEP even the latest models to make it compatible with every wireless network adapter. While WEP is better than no security the network key used to encrypt the wireless data can be broken in as little as a few minutes.
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)

Medium protection

WPA was developed to close the security holes that WEP has. It uses several mechanisms to prevent the network key from being broken but still uses the same encryption method as WEP.
Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2)

Highest protection

WPA2 has been implemented as the highest form of security for home and small businesses. It takes the mechanisms that are used by WPA and uses a more secure encryption method.

WPA and WPA2

WPA and WPA2 use letters (a-z, A-Z, 0-9) that are between 8 and 63 characters long. The key can be made up from any upper and lower case letters, numbers, and the special characters (~!@#$%^&*()_+:;'”<>).

It is recommended that all three types of characters be used in the key and that they are used in a random order. This makes it difficult for someone to guess the key.

WEP

WEP comes in two lengths 64 and 128 bit and in two forms ASCII and Hexadecimal. The key that you create will include an additional 24-bit header so the key you create is only 40 or 104 bits long. That is why a 64bit WEP key is also known as 40bit. ASCII is the numbers and letters that we use every day, a – z, A – Z and the numbers 0 – 9. Hexadecimal is also known as machine code, when a computer is running a program that it is being told what to do by Hexadecimal numbers. Hexadecimal uses the numbers 0 – 9 and the letters a – f.

See (Table 1) for the number and type of characters that you must use create a WEP key.

Key Length
ASCII
Hexadecimal

64 bit
5 case-sensitive characters
(a-z, A-Z, 0-9)
10 characters (0-9, a-f)

128 bit
13 case-sensitive characters
(a-z, A-Z, 0-9)
26 characters (0-9, a-f)

Table 1: WEP Key Creation

(There are free WEP and WPA key generators available on the Internet.)

NOTE: Once the security key is created, be sure to write it down and put it in a safe place.

The easiest way to find your wireless network name (SSID) is to put the computer and the wireless router 1-3 meters (3-9 ft) away from each other.

Do one of the following tasks:

NOTE: When you have a computer that is connected to the wireless router with a network cable, it is possible to get the wireless network name directly from the wireless router, see the Getting the Wireless Network Name Directly from the Wireless Router tab and follow the instructions.

For a laptop:
1. Move the computer to within 1-3 meters (3-9 ft) of the wireless router.
  
  NOTE: Ensure that the wireless antenna is on, For more information see Dell Knowledge Base article
  
  Ensure that the wireless antenna is on, For more information see Dell Knowledge Base article How to Turn the Wireless on a Dell Notebook On and Off (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Mobile Broadband)
2. Touch or click the network icon ( or ), either in the taskbar or in the hidden icons area (Figure 1).
  
  NOTE: Both are located in the lower right corner of the screen.
  
  Figure 1: Hidden Icon Location
3. Look for a listing that has the most white bars next to it (it may be necessary to scroll up or down to find it) and write it down exactly as you see it.
  
  NOTE: When there is more than one listing with the same number of white bars or the listing reads as “Hidden network or Other Network,” see the Getting the Wireless Network Name Directly from the Wireless Router tab, for instructions to get the wireless network name from the wireless router directly.

For a desktop computer:
1. It may be necessary to move the wireless router within 1-3 meters (3-9 ft) of the desktop (you do not need to move or turn off the broadband modem because Internet access is not needed now, but any other computers that are connected to the wireless router cannot access the Internet during this process). Ensure that the wireless router is turned on after moving it.
  
  NOTE: Ensure that the wireless antenna is on, For more information see Dell Knowledge Base article
  
  Ensure that the wireless antenna is on, For more information see Dell Knowledge Base article How to Turn the Wireless on a Dell Notebook On and Off (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Mobile Broadband)
2. Touch or click the network icon ( or ), either in the taskbar or in the hidden icons area (Figure 1).
  
  NOTE: Both are located in the lower right corner of the screen.
  
  Figure 1: Hidden Icon Location
3. Look for a listing that has the most white bars next to it (it may be necessary to scroll up or down to find it) and write it down exactly as you see it.
  
  NOTE: When there is more than one listing with the same number of white bars or the listing reads as “Hidden network or Other Network,” see the Getting the Wireless Network Name Directly from the Wireless Router tab, for instructions to get the wireless network name from the wireless router directly.
4. After finding your wireless network name, you must move the wireless router back to its original location and reconnect it to the Broadband Modem.

NOTE: 2Wire wireless routers that are provided by AT&T have the 10-digit WEP key that is on the bottom of the 2Wire router inside brackets (for example [ xxxxxxxxxx ]).

Write down the 10-digit key, exactly as you see it.

2Wire wireless routers that are provided by AT&T have the 10-digit WEP key that is on the bottom of the 2Wire router inside brackets (for example []).

For this process to work a network cable has to be connected between one of the LAN ports on the back of the wireless router and the LAN port on the computer.

NOTE: For more information about where the LAN port is located for your specific computer, browse to the PDF next to Setup Guide and look for the section on Connecting the Network Cable.

For more information about where the LAN port is located for your specific computer, browse to the Online User’s Guide . Click the make and model of the computer and the preferred language. Clicknext toand look for the section on

Touch and hold or right-click the network icon ( or ), either in the taskbar or in the hidden icons area (Figure 1).

NOTE: Both are located in the lower right corner of the screen.

Figure 1: Hidden Icon Location
Touch or click Open Network and Sharing Center.
Touch or click Ethernet.
Click Details.
Locate and write down the IP address to the right of IPv4 Default Gateway.
Open an Internet browser.
In the address bar, type https://[Default_Gateway_ip_address], where [Default_Gateway_ip_address] is the IPv4 Default Gateway IP address (do not include the brackets).
Log in to the router. For some of the most common router username and passwords, see Table 3.

Wireless router manufacturers typically keep the wireless Network Name or SSID under a page listed as Wireless, the method for getting to that page varies (see the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer, links are provided in Table 3).

Be sure to write the wireless network name down, exactly as you see it.

When the common defaults do not work, it means that either someone has changed the default, or your model of wireless router has a unique username or password. Ask whoever may have set up the wireless router what is the username and password, see the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer (links are provided in Table 3).

NOTES: When all attempts to log in to the wireless router have failed, it will be necessary to reset the wireless router back to its defaults (like it was when first taken out of the box) to connect to the wireless router. See the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer on how to reset the wireless router (links are provided in

Before you reset the wireless router, note:

When you access the Internet through a DSL (phone) connection:
- Contact you Internet Service Provider (ISP) for your username and password that allows you to connect to the Internet, you must reenter that information into the wireless router.
- No other computers connected to your network can access the Internet until you reenter your username and password that you got from your ISP.
- After reentering your username and password that you got from your ISP into the wireless router, no wireless computers can access the Internet until you reconfigure the router and wireless computers (see the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer, on how to reconfigure the wireless router, links are provided in Table 3).
When you access the Internet through a TV cable provider:
- No other wireless computers connected to your wireless router can access the Internet until you reconfigure the router and wireless computers (see to the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer, on how to reconfigure the wireless router (links are provided in Table 3).

When all attempts to log in to the wireless router have failed, it will be necessary to reset the wireless router back to its defaults (like it was when first taken out of the box) to connect to the wireless router. See the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer on how to reset the wireless router (links are provided in Table 3)

Manufacture
User Name
Password

Linksys 5iC_External_Link_BD_v1

leave blank
admin

D-Link 5iC_External_Link_BD_v1

admin
leave blank

Netgear 5iC_External_Link_BD_v1

admin
password

2Wire 5iC_External_Link_BD_v1

None unless one was set up.
None unless one was set up.

Belkin 5iC_External_Link_BD_v1

None
leave blank

Apple 5iC_External_Link_BD_v1

Use the AirPort utility

SMC 5iC_External_Link_BD_v1

Admin
smcadmin

Table 3: Common Wireless Router User Name and Passwords

For this process to work a network cable has to be connected between one of the LAN ports on the back of the wireless router and the LAN port on the computer.

Touch and hold or right-click the network icon ( or ), either in the taskbar or in the hidden icons area (Figure 1).

NOTE: Both are located in the lower right corner of the screen.

Figure 1: Hidden Icon Location
Touch or click Open Network and Sharing Center.
Touch or click Ethernet.
Click Details.
Locate and write down the IP address to the right of IPv4 Default Gateway.
Open an Internet browser.
In the address bar, type https://[Default_Gateway_ip_address], where [Default_Gateway_ip_address] is the IPv4 Default Gateway IP address (do not include the brackets).
Log in to the router. For some of the most common router username and passwords, see Table 4.

Be sure to write the wireless network name down, exactly as you see it.

NOTES: When all attempts to log in to the wireless router have failed, it is necessary to reset the wireless router back to its defaults (like it was when first taken out of the box) to connect to the wireless router. See the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer on how to reset the wireless router (links are provided in

When all attempts to log in to the wireless router have failed, it is necessary to reset the wireless router back to its defaults (like it was when first taken out of the box) to connect to the wireless router. See the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer on how to reset the wireless router (links are provided in Table 4)

Before you reset the wireless router, note:

When you access the Internet through a DSL (phone) connection:
- Contact you Internet Service Provider (ISP) for your username and password that allows you to connect to the Internet, you must reenter that information into the wireless router.
- No other computers connected to your network can access the Internet until you reenter your username and password that you got from your ISP.
- After reentering your username and password that you got from your ISP into the wireless router, no wireless computers can access the Internet until you reconfigure the router and wireless computers (see the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer, on how to reconfigure the wireless router, links are provided in Table 4).
When you access the Internet through a TV cable provider:
- No other wireless computers connected to your wireless router can access the Internet until you reconfigure the router and wireless computers (see to the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer, on how to reconfigure the wireless router, (links are provided in Table 4).

Manufacture
User Name
Password

Linksys 5iC_External_Link_BD_v1