Download - Wifi connect user guide - internet, tv and phone | compare

Verizon Wi-Fi ConnectUser Guide

Release 2.00 Version 1.1Verizon Edition

Last Updated: July 10, 2009 9:52AM

July 10, 2009 9:53AM Release 2.00 Version 1.1 Verizon Edition i

© 2009 Verizon. All Rights Reserved.The Verizon and Verizon Business names and logos and all other names, logos, and slogans identifying Verizon's products and services are trademarks and service marks or registered trademarks and service marks of Verizon Trademark Services LLC or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft® and Microsoft Windows® referenced herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

Table of Contents

July 10, 2009 9:53AM Release 2.00 Version 1.1 Verizon Edition ii

Wi-Fi Connect Overview ............................................................1Wi-Fi Connect Menu Items......................................................4

Wi-Fi Connect Location Search Tool .......................................7Free-Form Search ...................................................................7Drill-Down Search ...................................................................8Map of Wi-Fi Hotspots.............................................................9Location Directory Search Menu .............................................9

Troubleshooting Wi-Fi Connect ...............................................10Operating Systems Supported ................................................10Log File....................................................................................10Troubleshooting Hotspot Connectivity Issues .........................11Troubleshooting Authentication Failures .................................12Resolving Authentication Failures ...........................................13Windows’ Wi-Fi Utilities ...........................................................133rd Party Wi-Fi Utilities............................................................13Avoid Closing Wi-Fi Connect at Initial Connection ..................14

Wi-Fi Connect Overview

Wi-Fi Connect is an application that enables easy access to Verizon-provided Wi-Fi Access loca-tions, commonly known as Wi-Fi hotspots.

Wi-Fi Connect runs in the background and searches for Verizon Wi-Fi hotspots. The Wi-Fi Connect’s icon in the system tray at the bottom, right corner of your screen lets you know that it’s running.

When you are within range of a Verizon Wi-Fi hotspot, Wi-Fi Connect will let you know you can connect to it. Click anywhere within the pop-up window to make a connection.

Note: Vista’s Sidebar is transparent. When any of Wi-Fi Connect windows display, they may appear behind the Sidebar. You can see them, but you will not be able to interact with them until you click on the portion of the window not hidden by the Sidebar window.

A pop-up window displays while Wi-Fi Connect starts communicating with the Wi-Fi hotspot as shown.

July 10, 2009 9:53AM Release 2.00 Version 1.1 Verizon Edition 1

Note: If you encounter a modified Wi-Fi hotspot, or you are connecting using an outdated location directory search, you will see the below screen:

At this point, you will need to use the Hotspot Locator search tool to find an alternative Wi-Fi hotspot to use.

After the initial communication with the hotspot, you will be prompted to enter your Wi-Fi user-name and password in a login window. Note: you can enter your Wi-Fi username with or without the “@verizon.net.” Click on “Save password” if you want Wi-Fi Connect to remember your password. Further, you can specify an application to launch after you are successfully logged into the Wi-Fi hotspot. Typically, the launched application is a VPN (Virtual Private Network) client. Finally, click on the “Login” button to log into the Wi-Fi hotspot.



Wi-Fi Connect confirms that you are logged into the Wi-Fi hotspot. From the hotspot, you can check your e-mail and access the Internet as you normally would. The available options in Wi-Fi Connect are to Logout or to click on “Please check your details and try log-ging in again.” Both of these will log you out and redisplay the login screen. Or, just close the window. You can always return to this window to logout later.

Wi-Fi Connect Menu Items

Right clicking on the Wi-Fi Connect icon in the system tray will allow you to access the Wi-Fi Connect’s menu items, which are explained below.

Connect - communicates with the Verizon Wi-Fi hotspot. If successful, Wi-Fi Connect will display the login screen. This is where you will have to enter your Wi-Fi username and password before you will be allowed to use the connection. The Connect option is available to you if are within range of a Verizon Wi-Fi hotspot and you’re not connected. If you click on Connect and nothing happens, the Wi-Fi hotspot’s signal is too weak to make a proper connection. You will need to try to reposition closer to the Wi-Fi hotspot or try a different one.

Disconnect - choosing this option will disconnect your device from the Wi-Fi hotspot. The Disconnect option is available if you are connected to a Verizon Wi-Fi hotspot.

Open - displays the login screen if you are not logged in or displays the log-out screen if you are logged in.

Update - loads the latest Wi-Fi Location Directory (included with the Wi-Fi Connect application). When Update is selected, a small window may pop up where you can enter your Wi-Fi user name and password, which will be used to perform updates to the Wi-Fi hotspot location directory. The pop up will not display if you already have the latest Wi-Fi Location Directory.


Update is available when you first install Wi-Fi Connect and when you log into a Verizon Wi-Fi Hotspot.

Note: The Wi-Fi Location Directory can be updated in one of two ways: 1) Manually - choose “Update” in the menu as explained above; 2) Automatically - the update runs in the background if you have an active network connection and you have saved your user name and password. You will not see any status messages when the automatic update runs.

While the update is running, information is provided to you showing the status of the update.

Technical Note: Software which changes the TCP/IP routing on the computer (e.g. IPSEC VPN clients) may prevent immediate logout from the hotspot (when you click on logout). Such sessions will terminate after the timeout period elapses. To avoid this situation, you must first close the software which


changes the TCP/IP routing before clicking the logout button in Wi-Fi Connect (e.g. close the IPSEC VPN session).

Logout - Wi-Fi Connect will remain in communications with the Wi-Fi Hotspot, but you will be logged out. After logging out, you can log in again using a different Wi-Fi username and password. Having multiple Wi-Fi usernames and passwords is only available to business customers.

About - displays a small window containing version information for the Wi-Fi Connect application and its related components. Note: your version numbers may vary from the example shown.

Logging - turns on/off Wi-Fi Connect’s logging capabilities. See “Troubleshooting Wi-Fi Connect” for more information about logging.

Auto-start on reboot - Wi-Fi connect will automatically start when your device is rebooted if this option is checked.

Hotspot Search - allows you to find a Verizon Wi-Fi hotspot near you. See “Wi-Fi Connect Location Search Tool” for more information about hotspot searches. You can use this option even you are not within range of a Verizon Wi-Fi hotspot.

Exit - closes any Wi-Fi session and terminates the Wi-Fi Connect application. This will remove Wi-Fi Connect from the system tray. To restart Wi-Fi Connect, you will need to go through Window’s Start menu.


Wi-Fi Connect Location Search Tool

The Wi-Fi Connect Location Search Tool allows you to search for Wi-Fi hotspot locations. You don’t need to be connected in order to use most features in this tool. The left-hand side of the screen is where you enter your search criteria. The search results will appear on the right-hand side of the screen. The search results contain state/region, city, name, venue, address, and zip codes for the Wi-Fi hotspots. Clicking on the column headers will sort the hotspots by that col-umn. A second click on the same column will reverse the sort order.

Free-Form Search

The search screen has a “free-form search” field. Free-form search can help you find the available hotspots that contains the text you enter. For example, entering “vick” in the free form search field returns the following hotspots:

The free-form search will find the text you entered in all of the available columns. In the example above, “vick” was found in the city Vicksburg and in the location name “Vicki’s Cafe.”


In the previous example, only one word was used in the search. The free-form search is not limited to just one word. Instead, you can use any number of words. You will need to separate each word with a space to use the multi-word search. See the example screen where “vick” and “don” returns one Wi-Fi hotspot.

Note: A popular use of the free-form search is to search for hotspots by entering a zip code.

Drill-Down Search

Besides the free-form search, you are presented with a set of four dropdown boxes on the left-hand side of the window. The dropdown boxes allow you to select Country (only choice is the United States), State/Region, City, and Venue (e.g. airport, café/restaurant, hotel, etc.). Use these selections to narrow the list of available hotspots to those near your location.


Note: The directory of Wi-Fi hotspots continually changes. The exact list of Wi-Fi hotspots may differ from the ones shown in the example screens included in this guide.

Map of Wi-Fi Hotspots

If you click on any of the Wi-Fi hotspots in the Location Directory Search results, the Wi-Fi Con-nect application will show you the address presented on a map.

Note: This feature requires you to be connected to the Internet.

Location Directory Search Menu

The Help Menu includes About Location Directory Search, which displays a small window con-taining version information for this application and its related components.


Troubleshooting Wi-Fi Connect

Operating Systems Supported

•• Windows XP with Service Pack 3 Home, Professional, and Media Center editions - 32 bits

only• Windows Vista with or without Service Pack 1 Home Basic, Home Premium, Business,

Enterprise, Ultimate editions- 32 or 64 bits

Verizon Wi-Fi Connect does not support Microsoft Windows XP 64-bit operating systems, Mac-intosh, or Windows 7.

Log File

With the logging feature enabled (enabled by default), a log file is created called VzConnect-Log.txt; this file is located in this folder:

• Microsoft Windows XP:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Wi-Fi Connect\Config

• Microsoft Windows Vista:

C:\ProgramData\Wi-Fi Connect\Config

This log file will include all the relevant information allowing for a prompt resolution of any issues encountered.

If you are having trouble authenticating at a Wi-Fi hotspot, then open the Wi-Fi Connect Location Search Tool and verify your location is in the Search tool listing. If your current hotspot is not listed, then it is not supported by Verizon. If your current hotspot is listed, then follow the steps listed in the “Troubleshooting Authentication Failures” section.


Troubleshooting Hotspot Connectivity Issues

Verizon Wi-Fi Connect will automatically notify you if your device is in range of a valid hotspot.

If you are experiencing issues connecting at a hotspot, please verify the following:

1. Ensure you are at a valid Verizon Wi-Fi location using the Wi-Fi Connect Hotspot Locator tool.

• Verizon Wi-Fi is only available at supported hotspots found in the Hotspot Locator.

2. Ensure that you have turned on your laptop’s wireless adapter.

• Typically, this is done via an ON/OFF switch, or via a “Fn”-key combination.

3. If the software is currently running: attempt to restart it by right-clicking and selecting Exit, and re-launching it from the Wi-Fi Connect option in your Windows Programs Menu (Click on Start, All Programs, Wi-Fi Connect, and Wi-Fi Connect).

• Note: Connecting directly to the SSID at a hotspot location will not allow access to the Internet

4. Attempt to Diagnose and Repair your wireless connection using Windows.

Using Repair in Windows XP

i. Right click on the “wireless network connection” in your taskbar, on the lower right corner by the clock

ii. Select “Repair”

Using Diagnose and Repair in Windows Vista

i. Right click on the “wireless network connection” in your taskbar, on the lower right corner by the clock

ii. Select “Diagnose and repair”


Troubleshooting Authentication Failures

The following could be causes for a failed login attempt:

1. The username and/or password entered do not match your account.

You must enter the Wi-Fi account username and password (which is different than your primary verizon.net username or verizon.net sub accounts). Using the primary verizon.net username or a sub account will not work for login.

If you have not created a Wi-Fi account, please visit http://www.verizon.net/wi-fi to create your account.

If you do not know the Wi-Fi account username and password, contact the main account holder.

2. Too many concurrent sessions.

If you have shared your Wi-Fi account with others, there is a maximum limit of 4 (four) concurrent sessions. Exceeding the maximum limit is one of the reasons you will see the screen to the right after you try to login.


http://www.verizon.net/wi-fi

Resolving Authentication Failures

If you do not remember your username or password, or feel your account is being abused:

• Go to http://www.verizon.net/wi-fi on any computer

• Sign in with the main account holder’s user name and password (not a sub account or the Wi-Fi account)

• Click on “Manage and Download your Verizon Wi-Fi” after logging in.

• You will be taken to the “Manage my Verizon Wi-Fi” account page. This page displays an option to reset the password.

• Remember to share the new password with any users in your household sharing the

Wi-Fi account.

Windows’ Wi-Fi Utilities

If you use Windows XP’s Windows Zero Configuration or Windows Vista’s Connection Manager to establish communications with a Verizon Wi-Fi hotspot, you will still need to use Wi-Fi Con-nect to finish the connection. Wi-Fi Connect will require your Wi-Fi username and password to complete the connection. Further, you can disconnect from the Verizon Wi-Fi hotspot using Wi-Fi Connect even though the connection was originally started in the Windows Zero Configuration or Connection Manager.

3rd Party Wi-Fi Utilities

On Windows XP computers, Wi-Fi Connect will disable a few well-known Wi-Fi utilities when Wi-Fi Connect is running. Wi-Fi Connect will not disable the Wi-Fi utility if you have an active connection established using it. By disabling well-known Wi-Fi utilities, this makes it possible to easily connect to Verizon Wi-Fi hotspots. If you exit Wi-Fi Connect and it previously disabled a Wi-Fi utility, it will re-enable the Wi-Fi utility before exiting.

Wi-Fi Connect recognizes the following Wi-Fi utilities:

• Intel Proset

• Juniper Odyssey

• Dell True Mobile


http://www.verizon.net/wi-fi

Note: If you are using Vista or using some other Wi-Fi utility that is not listed above, then you must manually disable the Wi-Fi utility yourself in order to use Wi-Fi Connect.

Avoid Closing Wi-Fi Connect at Initial Connection

Once you started a connection and the window shown to the right displays, do not close Wi-Fi Connect until you see the login screen shown below. If the initial connection is interrupted, then the Wi-Fi Hotspot may not allow you to connect with it again.
