The Ins and Outs of Staying Connected
Perhaps you're enjoying a coffee break at your local café. You've got your mobile PC, and you're ready for some
quality surfing time. Windows Vista can help keep you connected to your friends,
coworkers, and fellow gamers—whether they're sitting next to you or halfway
around the world. This article will show you how to get and stay connected, and
how to adjust settings to improve your experience while you're mobile.
Go wireless
Wherever you go, Windows Vista helps make it easier to find and connect to a wireless network. First, you need a mobile PC, such as a notebook, Tablet PC, or ultra-mobile PC, that has a wireless network adapter. Next, you need to find a connection. Public places often have wireless connections available, especially in metropolitan areas. Many libraries, schools, office buildings, and cafés are equipped with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), commonly called a hotspot, which offers access to the Internet. Usually, public buildings or businesses provide information about the wireless connections that they offer. You can also check websites that list hotspots geographically, such as WiFi Hotspot Locator.
Some hotspots are free of charge, but not all of them. At many cafés, for example, you may be charged for access to a wireless connection. There are a couple of ways this might occur. At some hotspots, the owner may charge a usage fee to let you access the Internet by the hour or by the minute. After arranging your method of payment, the host provides you with a passphrase (a string of characters used to control access to a network or program) to log on to the network with your mobile PC. Other hotspots connect you directly with a wireless service provider when you open your browser. When the logon screen appears, you provide your account or credit card information, and your usage is billed to you directly.
Picture the following scenario: You're settled in at the café and you've fired up your wireless-enabled mobile PC. You're ready to connect to the Internet. Here's how to locate and connect to a wireless network:
To open Connect to a network, click the Start button 
, and then click Connect To.
In the Show list, click Wireless. You'll see a list of the wireless networks currently available.
Click a network, and then click Connect.
If the wireless service provider charges a fee, you'll have the option to continue or disconnect. If you're prompted for a security key or passphrase, ask the network administrator or service provider for the key or passphrase, and then enter it.
After you connect, just open your browser or e-mail program, and you're off and running.
When you connect to a wireless network at home or at work, you're most likely using a private, or password-protected, network. But when you're on the go, you'll connect to a public network. Public networks are usually not secure because they don't require a password to authenticate users, so be cautious about sending sensitive or personal information over the Internet. For more information, see Windows security: recommended links in Windows Help and How-to.
If you have difficulty establishing a wireless connection, it might be because your wireless network adapter is turned off. Here's how to check the status of your wireless adapter in Windows Mobility Center:
On the Wireless Network tile, make sure the button reads Turn wireless off. If it doesn't, click Turn wireless on, and then try to connect to the wireless network again.
If the problem persists, there may be a hardware button on your mobile PC that is turned off. For more information about hardware buttons, see your computer manufacturer's website.
Sometimes it happens. You have a working wireless connection and, just as you're saving a document, poof! Your computer alerts you that you've just been disconnected. So what happens to the work you were doing when you lost the connection to your company's shared files?
There's no need for concern. If you're using a program that is installed on your computer, you won't experience any change if you lose your network connection. You can continue working on files in that program and save them as you normally do. If you're using a program that is installed on a server and is running over your corporate network, you can save the file you're working on to a location on your hard disk, and then work on it there. When you've reconnected to the network, you can copy the current file from your hard disk to the network location. For more information, see Continue working if you lose or unplug your network connection in Windows Help and How-to.
Use Windows Mobility Center
Once you're up and running, Windows Mobility Center gives you flexibility and control over the way your mobile PC operates. Whenever you change locations or connections, you can change your settings to suit the situation. Windows Mobility Center has easy-to-use tiles that help you to quickly adjust volume and display settings, change power plans, sync with other devices, set up your presentations, and more. Here's how to open Windows Mobility Center:
Windows Mobility Center
If you have mobile devices in addition to your mobile PC, you might find it tricky to keep track of all your files when you're on the go. For example, you want to make sure that the contacts that you updated on your smartphone also get updated on your mobile PC. This is where syncing comes in handy. When you sync files, two or more versions of the same file are stored in different locations. When they are synced, any changes you make to one file are also made in the other file. Windows Vista helps make it easy to set up sync partnerships between your mobile PC or desktop computer and your mobile devices. Here's how to set up a sync partnership using Windows Mobility Center:
On the Sync Center tile, click the Change synchronization settings icon 
.
In the left pane of Sync Center, click Set up new sync partnerships.
Now you can create folders and add devices, and configure them to sync your offline work automatically when you go back online. For more information, see Sync Center: recommended links in Windows Help and How-to.
Your coffee break lasts a bit longer than you planned. You want to continue working with your mobile PC, but you also want to get the maximum life from your battery.
In Windows Mobility Center, you can choose between three power plans to direct the way your computer uses power. When you choose the Power saver plan, your computer is optimized for maximum battery life. Later, when you can plug your mobile PC into a power source, you can switch to the High performance plan, which boosts your computer's processing power. The Balanced plan provides full performance when you need it and saves power during periods of inactivity. Here's how to adjust power settings using Windows Mobility Center:
After your coffee break, it's time to visit that new customer to deliver a snazzy sales presentation. In Windows Mobility Center, you can connect your mobile PC to a projector or an external display (an additional monitor besides your mobile PC screen). The Presentation Settings tile in Windows Mobility Center offers a convenient way for you to change your desktop background and screen saver settings to help make sure that your screen doesn't go black in the middle of your sales pitch. For more information, see Adjust settings before giving a presentation in Windows Help and How-to. Here's how to customize presentation settings using Windows Mobility Center:
On the Presentation Settings tile, click the Change presentation settings icon 
.
In the Presentation Settings dialog box, adjust settings for giving a presentation, and then click OK.
You can use Presentation Settings to turn off your screen saver, adjust the volume, and customize your desktop background with an image, such as your company logo. For more information, see Giving a presentation over a network in Windows Help and How-to.
Connect with other people
With Windows Vista, you can stretch the concept of who is nearby. While you sip your coffee and send instant messages to your friends, you can also collaborate with coworkers and participate in online meetings by using People Near Me or a temporary (ad hoc) network.
Windows Vista has a new feature called People Near Me to help you interact in real time with friends and coworkers. People Near Me identifies people who are using computers near you. You can communicate with them by using Windows Meeting Space and other features and programs that use peer-to-peer technology. You can personalize People Near Me with your name, include a picture with your screen name and contact information, and change other settings. Here's how to open People Near Me:
In Control Panel, click Network and Internet, and then click People Near Me.
Enter information about yourself, personalize your screen identity by adding or changing a picture, and then click OK.
To sign in to People Near Me, click the Sign In tab, and then click Sign in to People Near Me.
A computer-to-computer, or ad hoc, network is a temporary network that you create. It can include whomever you want. Do you want to challenge a friend to play a one-on-one game, or set up a multiplayer network? You can with an ad hoc network. It doesn't have to be all about playing games, either. You can also set up a network to share files with coworkers, consult with team members, and hold an online meeting.
Ad hoc networks can only be wireless, so you must have a wireless network adapter installed on your computer to set up or join an ad hoc network. Here's how to set up an ad hoc network:
Click the Start button , and then click Connect to.
Click Set up a connection or network.
Click Set up an ad hoc (computer-to-computer) network, click Next, and then follow the steps in the wizard.
For more information, see Set up a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network in Windows Help and How-to.
With Windows Vista, you're no longer tethered to that power cord or a dialup connection. Whether you're relaxing with a hot cup of coffee or presenting information to a new client, you can adjust your mobile PC to adapt to most any situation.
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