Mobile devices give people the freedom to work, learn, play, and communicate wherever they want. People using mobile devices do not need to be tied to a physical location to send and receive voice, video, and data communications. In addition, wireless facilities, such as Internet cafes, are available in many countries. College campuses use wireless networks to allow students to sign up for classes, watch lectures, and submit assignments in areas where physical connections to the network are unavailable. With mobile devices becoming more powerful, many tasks that needed to be performed on large computers connected to physical networks can now be completed using mobile devices on wireless networks.
Almost all mobile devices are capable of connecting to Wi-Fi networks. It is advisable to connect to Wi-Fi networks when possible because data used over Wi-Fi does not count against the cellular data plan. Also, because Wi-Fi radios use less power than cellular radios, connecting to Wi-Fi networks conserves battery power. Like other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, it is important to use security when connecting to Wi-Fi networks. These precautions should be taken to protect Wi-Fi communications on mobile devices:
- Never send login or password information using clear, unencrypted text.
- Use a VPN connection when possible.
- Enable security on home networks.
- Use WPA2 security.
To turn Wi-Fi on or off, use the following path for Android, shown in Figure 1, and iOS, shown in Figure 2:
Settings > turn Wi-Fi on or off
To connect an Android device when it is within the coverage range of a Wi-Fi network, turn on Wi-Fi, and the device then searches for all available Wi-Fi networks and displays them in a list. Touch a Wi-Fi network in the list to connect. Enter a password if needed.
When a mobile device roams out of the range of the Wi-Fi network, it attempts to connect to another Wi-Fi network in range. If no Wi-Fi networks are in range, the mobile device connects to the cellular data network. When Wi-Fi is on, it automatically connects to any Wi-Fi network that it has connected to previously. If the network is new, the mobile device either displays a list of available networks that can be used or asks if it should connect to it.
If a mobile device does not prompt to connect to a Wi-Fi network, the network SSID broadcast may be turned off, or the device may not be set to connect automatically. Manually configure the Wi-Fi settings on the mobile device.
To connect to a Wi-Fi network manually on an Android device, follow these steps:
Step 1. Select Settings > Add network.
Step 2. Enter the network SSID.
Step 3. Touch Security and select a security type.
Step 4. Touch Password and enter the password.
Step 5. Touch Save.
To connect to a Wi-Fi network manually on an iOS device, follow these steps:
Step 1. Select Settings > Wi-Fi > Other.
Step 2. Enter the network SSID.
Step 3. Touch Security and select a security type.
Step 4. Touch Other Network.
Step 5. Touch Password and enter the password.
Step 6. Touch Join.