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Once you’ve installed all of the correct drivers, simply plug in the card and start up the application. From here just follow the instructions that came with the software; in this case, double-click on the VZAccess network listed in the window (Figure 24-25). This initiates the connection to (in this case) Verizon’s network. You can also go to the Options menu and select Statistics and see the specifics of your connection, as shown in Figure 24-26.

Figure 24-25 VZAccess Manager

Figure 24-26 Session statistics for VZAccess Manager

The key thing to remember about cellular Internet access is that it is almost completely configured and controlled by the cellular company. A tech has very little to do except to make sure the cellular card is plugged in, is recognized by the computer, and its drivers are properly installed.

Troubleshooting Wi-Fi

Wireless networks are a real boon when they work right, but they can also be one of the most vexing things to troubleshoot when they don’t. Let’s turn to some practical advice on how to detect and correct wireless hardware, software, and configuration problems.

As with any troubleshooting scenario, your first step in troubleshooting a wireless network is to break down your tasks into logical steps. Your first step should be to figure out the scope of your wireless networking problem. Ask yourself who, what, and when:

Who is affected by the problem?

What is the nature of their network problem?

When did the problem start?

The answers to these questions dictate at least the initial direction of your troubleshooting.

So, who’s affected? If all machines on your network—wired and wireless—have lost connectivity, you have bigger problems than that the wireless machines cannot access the network. Troubleshoot this situation the way you’d troubleshoot any network failure. Once you determine which wireless nodes are affected, it’s easier to pinpoint whether the problem lies in one or more wireless clients or in one or more access points.

After you narrow down the number of affected machines, your next task is to figure out specifically what type of error the users are experiencing. If they can access some, but not all, network services, it’s unlikely that the problem is limited to their wireless equipment. For example, if they can browse the Internet but can’t access any shared resources on a server, they’re probably experiencing a permissions-related issue rather than a wireless one.

Finally, determine when the problem started. What has changed that might explain your loss of connectivity? Did you or somebody else change the wireless network configuration? For example, if the network worked fine two minutes ago, and then you changed the WEP key on the access point, and now nobody can see the network, you have your solution—or at least your culprit! Did your office experience a power outage, power sag, or power surge? Any of these might cause a WAP to fail.

Once you figure out the who, what, and when, you can start troubleshooting in earnest. Typically, your problem is going to center on your hardware, software, connectivity, or configuration.

Hardware Troubleshooting

Wireless networking hardware components are subject to the same kind of abuse and faulty installation as any other hardware component. Troubleshooting a suspected hardware problem should bring out the technician in you.

Open Windows Device Manager and look for an error or conflict with the wireless adapter. If you see a big yellow exclamation point or a red X next to the device, you have either a driver error or a resource conflict. Reinstall the device driver or manually reset the IRQ resources as needed.

If you don’t see the device listed at all, perhaps it is not seated properly in its PCI slot or not plugged all the way into its PC Card or USB slot. These problems are easy to fix. One thing to consider if you’re using an older laptop and PC Card combination is that the wireless adapter may