The Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Connection Utility lets you easily manage your laptop connections to WiMAX networks. Connecting to WiMAX is simple, and the utility keeps track of available networks and can connect to them automatically. Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Software is completely configurable. The WiMAX adapter and connection can be easily turned off whenever necessary.
The Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Connection Utility runs on both Microsoft Windows XP* and Windows Vista*.
To start the Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Connection Utility, use one of the following methods:
Because your laptop computer has a WiMAX adapter, a software program is always managing the adapter. If a program other than the Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Connection Utility is managing your WiMAX adapter, you may see the following message:
Another connection manager application is currently managing WiMAX connections.
If the above message is displayed, close the other application so that it is no longer running. Then the start Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Connection Utility. If this message displays again, you should remove the other application.
A blue launch window is displayed if you start Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Connection Utility from the Start menu.
If there are any issues encountered when starting the application, a window is displayed showing the possible reasons. See Reasons why WiMAX is not Ready for more information.
Among other things, the Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Connection Utility main window lets you:
This area tells you about the status of the Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiMAX Connection Utility. For example, if you are currently connected to a network, this area shows you current network name, signal quality, and connection duration. This area will also show messages about the availability of networks, the operation currently in progress, and the status of the WiMAX adapter. Click Status to see all possible status messages.
This area lists the detected, available WiMAX networks.
NOTE: The networks list is shown only when appropriate, for example after a network search has been performed. Otherwise the networks list is not shown.
WiMAX networks are listed in the following order:
The following icons are presented in the main window. Additionally, icons used in the taskbar keep you informed about WiMAX networks and your WiMAX adapter.
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Connected to: Indicates the WiMAX network you are currently connected to. There are several other icons and status messages displayed in this area. See Status Messages. |
Indicates signal strength. The number of green bars may range from one to five, with more green bars indicating a stronger signal. Stronger signals enable more rapid connections. Weaker signals may result in slower or dropped connections. | |
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Indicates that this network is already activated and is available for connection. Your computer may have been configured during manufacture to have one or more home networks available. Or this may list as home network because you activated service with this WiMAX network service provider. |
Indicates that you have not activated this network. To make the network available, you need to first Activate service. For unknown networks, the activation process is guided by the WiMAX network service provider. | |
Time | Indicates the time duration for this connection, from the moment at which the current connection was made. |
The main window has the following buttons:
Details | In the status area, provides details of the currently connected network (if connected). In the WiMAX Networks List area, provides details of the current network selected from the list. |
Connect / Disconnect | In the Status area, click Connect to connect to the selected network. When the selected network in the list is an activated (for example, a home network), then clicking Connect opens a connection with that network. Information about the connection is provided in the Status window. If the selected network is not yet activated, then clicking Connect will start the activation process. You can also connect to an available network by double-clicking on it. This button is grayed out if no networks are available. Click Disconnect to disconnect from the currently connected network. The network will then be listed in the Networks List. |
WiMAX On/Off | Turns the WiMAX adapter on or off. If you are connected to a network and you turn the adapter off, you will be disconnected. If the utility is searching for networks and you turn the adapter off, the search will be stopped. |
Options | Clicking Options displays these choices:
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Help |
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Search for Networks | The WiMAX connection utility periodically searches for home networks automatically, keeping the Networks List current with home networks. This is called a fast search. Clicking Search for Networks causes the adapter to search again for home networks. See Searching for WiMAX Networks.
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To close the utility main window, click X on the main window, upper-right corner. Closing the utility does not close a connection. The utility and the adapter continue to function. To close a connection, click Disconnect on the main window, or click WiMAX: Off.