wireless

=Troubleshooting Wireless Connections at GISD= Logging into a laptop on the wireless network is not that different from logging in to a regular wired desktop computer. If this laptop has never been used on the GISD wireless network since September of 2007, then it may need to be configured for wireless. If the laptop has been used on wireless before, then use the following steps to login.

Normal wireless login
(Latitude models D620, D630, D820 & D830) have a switch on the left hand side of the laptop. The picture below shows it in the ON position. The line in the middel of the switch is lined up with the **|** symbol below it. If it were lined up with the **O** it would be off.
 * 1) Turn on the laptop and wait for the login screen to appear.
 * 2) Make sure the wireless radio is switched on. The newer laptops from Dell (Latitude models E6400 and E6410) have a wireless switch on the right hand side. When the wireless is OFF you will see a red stripe. Move the switch until the red stripe is covered.
 * 1) Dell Netbooks do not have a wireless switch. For older laptops that **do not have this switch** hold down the **Fn** key (usually an indigo colored key in the left right corner of keyboard) plus the **F2** key. If the wireless card is off this will turn it on. If it's on it will turn it off. On most Dell laptops the network jack lights will turn on when the wireless radio is on just like they do when it's plugged into the network. In that case pressing **Fn+F2** will turn the lights on or off. However, depending on the laptop model and wireless card the lights may not be active even though the wireless radio is on, so this is not a fool proof method for testing if the wireless radio is on. In that case you may have to press **Fn+F2** once, wait a minute or two and try to login. If you can't login, press **Fn+F2** again and wait.
 * 2) Make sure there is no check in the **Workstation only** box. Click to uncheck if there is.
 * 3) Wait at least one minute after the login screen appears. Your laptop is making a wireless connection in the background. This can take upto five minutes depending on the speed of the wireless card in the laptop and the wireless signal strength in your location. Unfortunately you don't get a message telling you when the connection has been established. All you can do is try to login and see if it works.
 * 4) Enter your username and hit the **Tab** key. When you do this your username should shift to capitalize the first letter of your lastname and the first initial of your firstname. For example: if you enter **sandersm** in the username field, then hit the **Tab** key it will change to **SandersM**. Enter your password and click **OK** or press the **Enter** key.
 * 1) If you get an error about not finding the **LDAP server**, wait another minute and try again.[[image:noldap.JPG]]
 * 2) If you are getting the error below, you are entering your username and password incorreclty or your laptop needs the Novell Client to be configured for LDAP contextless login.

Other Troubleshooting
__I get logged in but I don't have my home folder__. In this case the laptop needs to be updated with the latest hosts file. Call the Help Desk about getting this assigned to the laptop. I still can't login - click here I can login, but it takes a very long time - click here