From Catherine Roseberry,
Your Guide to Mobile Office Technology.
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I'm setting up a (2) desktop (1) laptop wireless network in my home. My wireless router will be the NetGear ProSafe 802.11g. My question is this; I plan on getting the NetGear ProSafe Dual Band Wireless PC card for the laptop. It will support 802.11a, b and g. Will this same card work in various WiFi spots when I travel, and if so, will it have to be re-configured for the home network every time I come home?

A.

Yes, this card will work at any hot spot and is a good choice since it will support 802.11 a, b and g. While traveling you will have to set up a profile for each hot spot or Wi-Fi location that you will use. You can save those profiles to make connecting easier during future trips to the same location.

In the same manner, you will set up a profile for your home network - making sure to use security precautions and encrypting your Wi-Fi network. Once you have saved your home network profile, you won't need to re-enter that information. In WinXP you can enable your computer to automatically detect available networks and then select your home Wi-Fi network.

Remember to turn off your Wi-Fi when not in use to help save battery power and to prevent unauthorized access. You may also wish to disable automatic Wi-Fi detection while traveling so that you can manually make connections and ensure you are connecting to a valid Wi-Fi network.