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FAQ
Equipment
What equipment do I need to
connect to the air2web network?
What types of wireless cards are
compatible with the air2web wireless network?
How do I install the software drivers
for my wireless network card?
How to verify that my card is connected
to the Access Point?
Is it necessary to load software or
change settings on the Notebook?
How to set up the Wi-Fi wireless card
for air2web?
Why you might need to change your
SSID, and how can you do so?
Can air2web be used with other devices
than a Notebook?
What operating systems are currently
compatible with the service?
How high is the transmission output
of a wireless device?
Service
What does air2web offer?
How fast is the air2web service?
How does the air2web network operate?
Is it possible to access personal
email accounts via air2web?
Does air2web provide personal email
accounts?
Can all features of the Internet be
used with air2web?
Does USENET and other older protocols
work withair2web?
Security
How secure is the air2web Network?
Does air2web implement a firewall
on the guest LAN?
Does air2web use WEP encryption for
its wireless network?
Locations
Where can I connect to air2web?
Is there a list of wireless hot spots
where air2web services are a available?
How
can I recognise an air2web location?
For location owners
Who installs the air2web Network?
Does the air2web network equipment
require a large amount of space or is it aesthetically unwieldy?
Who is responsible for the maintenance
of the equipment?
Do we offer training opportunities
for your staff?
Equipment
What equipment do I need to connect
to the air2web network?
air2web follows the 802.11b wireless networking
standard. You need a Wi-Fi certified 802.11b card, a web browser (such
as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator) and a portable device,
whether it’s a Notebook, PocketPC Palm or Handspring. Many Notebooks
shipped today already have Wi-Fi cards installed.
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What
types of wireless cards are compatible with the air2web wireless network?
Any card certified for compliance with the Wi-Fi
wireless LAN standard 802.11b can be used for the air2web wireless service.
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Where to get a wireless network
card?
You can purchase a wireless network card directly
from manufacturers such as Lucent, Cisco, IBM, Avaya/Orinoco/Lucent, 3Com,
and Compaq. Some Notebook PCs from Dell, Compaq, IBM, and Apple are shipped
with the cards already pre-installed. Ask your manufacturer or employer's
Information Technology department whether 802.11b is already pre-installed
on your model.
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How to install the software drivers
for wireless network cards?
Software drivers differ from each other depending
on the specific wireless network card. At our website, we offer installation
manuals in the Documentation area for the Avaya/Orinoco/Lucent card. You
can also refer to the Documentation that came with your wireless network
card for specific instructions. All files are in pdf format - you may
need to install Adobe's Acrobat reader to view these files.
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How to verify that my card is
connected to the Access Point?
Most wireless networking cards include an indicator.
This indicator allows you to determine whether the connection has been
made to the Access Point and your wireless device. In addition, most wireless
cards come with client side software that displays signal strength. Consult
the instruction manual that came with your wireless card to determine
different features.
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Is it necessary to load software
or change settings on the Notebook?
There is no extra software to load – as so
long as you have an operating system, web-browser and 802.11b wireless
card, your Notebook will work with air2web. It might be necessary to adjust
your hardware settings. For further information, refer to our Avaya/Orinoco/Lucent
installation manuals in the Documentation area of our website.
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How to set up the Wi-Fi wireless
card for air2web?
For the Avaya/Orinoco/Lucent card, we offer installation
manuals in the Documentation area of our website. For other cards, the
following information is required:
- Set the network name to air2web. Note that the network name is sometimes
called the SSID or the ESSID
- In addition to the network name, configure your wireless card to the
following settings:
WEP/Encryption: Disabled
Mode: Infrastructure or Access Point
Once your configuration is correct, the wireless card indicator will show
that you are connected to the network. For more detailed information regarding
the SSID configuration for your specific card, visit our SSID configuration
document in the Documentation area.
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Why you might need to change
your SSID, and how can you do so?
An SSID (Service Set Identifier) is a unique code,
that tells a Notebook computer how to connect to the wireless network.
air2web is configured to broadcast an SSID which allows a wireless card
to detect the air2web network. With a non-specified SSID, it might not
be possible to connect to the air2web network. When experiencing difficulties
connecting to the air2web network, it may be necessary to specify your
SSID as "air2web" (without the quotes, case-sensitive). Depending
on the brand of the Wi-Fi card, the SSID may also be referred to as the
network name or ESSID. For further information on how to change your SSID
or network name, please see the installation manual in the Documentation
area.
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Can air2web be used with devices
other than a Notebook?
It is possible to use other devices compatible with
802.11b wireless technology. Notebooks are most commonly used with air2web,
but many personal digital assistants (PDAs) are also 802.11b compatible.
Check with your manufacturer or your Information Technology department
for more details.
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What operating systems are currently
compatible with the service?
air2web wireless access is not OS-specific and therefore
works with any operating systems that's compatible with 802.11b wireless
technology. Additionally, the user requires an Internet-ready browser
such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.
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How high is the transmission
output of a wireless device?
The transmission output is considerably low: The
access point and the wireless card inserted in the Notebook or PDA works
at 0.1 watt. In comparison, a GSM mobile phone has a transmission output
of up to 2 watt.
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Service
What does air2web offer?
air2web network is a broadband wireless network,
offering high-speed Internet access at different locations around Zurich,
Switzerland. air2web allows you to access your email or simply surf the
Internet by using the same portable devices you use at the office.
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How fast is the air2web service?
The Wi-Fi 802.11b technology, allowing speeds up
to 11 Mbps, is governed by the speed at which the Access Point is connected
to the internet. The air2web wireless access zones have connections with
speed from 256kBit up to 1024kBit.
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How does the air2web network
operate?
air2web installs access points within a wireless
access zone which forms a link between the user’s Wi-Fi 802.11b
wireless network card and the air2web gateway. With a properly installed
wireless network card, a customer launches their browser from the air2web
service location and receives a log-in page to enter their user name and
password. Once the account information is verified, users can access the
Internet, email and the corporate networks they have access to through
the Internet.
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Is it possible to access personal email accounts via
air2web?
You may access any web-based email account such
as Yahoo or Hotmail. It is also possible to access corporate email accounts
if your firm uses a virtual private network (VPN) client and a firewall.
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Does air2web provide personal email accounts?
air2web does not provide personal email accounts.
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Can all features of the Internet
be used with air2web?
Yes! You can read and send email, surf the net and
use instant messaging.
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Does USENET and other older
protocols work with air2web?
Most IP-based protocols
and services work with air2web.
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Security
How secure is the air2web Network?
Keeping the connection secure is our highest
priority. We strongly recommend that the user be aware of the security
concerns of wireless networking and how the security of their information
is ensured. Like other communication technologies including DSL and cable,
the air2web network is not inherently secure.
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Does air2web implement a firewall on the guest LAN?
Yes!
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Does air2web use WEP encryption for its wireless network?
air2web does not enable WEP (Wired Equivalency
Protection) on any of the wireless equipment used in our networks. Therefore,
no special keys are required to use air2web’s wireless Internet
access. In absence of standardized encryption keys between different hardware
configurations, WEP encryption is not practical for a public access network
such as air2web. The air2web system supports secure Virtual Private Network
(VPN) access. If your employer has a VPN, air2web recommends its users
to connect via the VPN for optimum security. air2web further encourages
its users to observe standard security practices, such as ensuring that
computer hard drives are not shared.
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Locations
Where can I connect to air2web?
Frequently check out our website for the list of current and planned locations
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Is there a list of wireless
hot spots where air2web services are available?
To find the nearest wireless hot spots, visit the air2web website at www.air2web.ch
and check out the list of our locations.
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How can I recognise an
air2web location?
Look out for the door logo at the cash register or by the entrance. Alternatively,
you may launch the web browser to determine whether the service is available.
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For location owners
Who installs the air2web Network?
Our team of specialists installs the air2web Network at the desired location.
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Does the air2webnNetwork equipment
require a large amount of space or is it aesthetically unwieldy?
Neither applies. Our equipment requires a small amount of space –
it can easily be hidden underneath a counter or in a small cabinet. In
case you require an additional coverage area, a small antenna may need
to be installed. To meet your needs, we would install the antenna in the
most unobtrusive way possible.
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Who is responsible for
the maintenance of the equipment?
air2web is responsible for upgrades, maintenance and repairs. We continuously
monitor the system and respond to any problems quickly.
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Do we offer training opportunities
for your staff?
Yes! We want your staff to feel comfortable talking to customers about
the air2web experience. Therefore, we offer intensive training for your
staff on the air2eb system.
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Copyright © 2002 air2web
