Create a wireless network connection

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 7

You can use the following procedures to create a connection to a wireless network. Windows fully supports wireless network adapters that conform to the standard network specifications, including IEEEĀ 802.11.

By default, wireless network adapters are automatically enabled upon installation, and start listening for wireless networks that are within range. For security reasons, when an adapter discovers a wireless network, the adapter does not automatically connect to the network. To initially connect to any wireless network, you must follow one of the procedures in this section to create the wireless network connection. After the first connection to the new network, you can configure Windows to connect to the network automatically when the network is in range.

You can use the following topics to connect to a wireless network.