Accessibility Menu

Wi-Fi (Wireless Internet Access) at the Library

Using wireless access at the LibraryThe Johnson County Library is pleased to provide free wireless access at all Library locations. 

How to connect

  1. Set up your wireless card according to the manufacturer’s instructions
    Turn on your laptop, PDA, Palm Pilot, other wireless-enabled device
  2. Point your wireless card to http://wireless.jocolibrary.org
  3. Open your web browser and accept the use agreement
  4. You will be automatically redirected to http://www.jocolibrary.org

The wireless network supports 802.11b or 802.11g standards. Bluetooth-enabled devices cannot access the network. Check your wireless card documentation to determine if your wireless network card meets these standards and for any installation instructions.

Questions & Answers on Wireless Access

Q: Is there a cost to use the wireless network?
A: No. Wi-Fi at the Johnson County Library is free.

Q: When can the wireless network be used?
A: During library business hours.

Q: Where can I sit to pick up a stronger signal?
A: Within each library, a wireless access point is located near the Information Desk. Signal maps are available for most locations as well and are linked on each location's Web page if available.

Q: What is a Wireless network and how does it work?
A: Wireless networking is a method of connecting a laptop or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) computer to the Internet using radio signals or other network resources without using a phone line or data port.

There are two primary components involved in a wireless network: an access point and a wireless access card. The Johnson County Library provides the wireless access points that transmit signals within the library. These access points communicate with wireless access cards installed on patron devices to allow access to library network resources.

Q: Is it difficult to connect to the wireless network?
A: No, most laptops automatically detect the wireless network and configure themselves to pick up the wireless signal.

Q: What is needed to connect to the wireless network?

• A laptop, PDA or tablet PC
• A network device that conforms to the 802.11b and/or 802.11g standard (including combo cards). Most new laptops come with wireless technology. To use wireless with an older device, patrons may need to purchase network adapters.

Q: What kind of access is available through the Johnson County Library Wireless network?
A: Typical http Web access over Port 80 is allowed. POP3 incoming mail over port 110 like AOL, Hotmail, and Yahoo is allowed. Secure http over port 443 is also allowed. Telnet, SMTP, FTP, SSH and others are not allowed over the Johnson County Library wireless network as this may pose some security risks. Downloading and uploading over regular http port 80 is also allowed. Downloading through other ports might be blocked. Please verify with the site you are downloading from that downloads are not using any proprietary ports that cannot be opened on the Johnson County Library wireless network.

Q: Can I connect to the printers and other library software via the wireless network?
A: The Library’s online databases that are accessible from home (outside the library) are available. You will need to enter your library card and PIN just as if you were accessing it from home. Software loaded on library PCs and printing are not available via the wireless connection. If you need to print, please save your work to disk or e-mail files to yourself, then log in to a library workstation and send print jobs to a printer.

Q: How secure is the wireless network?
A: Because wireless networks use radio signals, data traveling through a wireless network can be intercepted. Users should pay attention and encrypt sensitive communications (passwords and confidential documentation) when communicating over the wireless network. The Johnson County Library does not have any virus protection software running on the wireless network. It is the responsibility of the patron to make sure that virus software on their laptop or wireless device is installed and is up-to-date on the virus definition files.

Q: Is the wireless connection filtered?
A: The library’s wireless connection is filtered. Staff cannot disable the filter for wireless access. If you need to have unfiltered access, please log in to one of the library’s public access computers and ask a library staff member to unfilter your session. If you are blocked from a site using the wireless network and you believe it should not be blocked, submit a request for a site review to the Library site through the Web form.

Q: Do appliances affect my computer’s wireless signals?
A: Cordless telephones, wireless headsets, microwave ovens and cameras can all affect 2.4 GHz wireless devices. Unauthorized access points can also interfere with the wireless network.

Q: I can’t seem to be able to connect to the wireless network. Can you help?
A:

  1. Check to see if you have a signal. Signal strengths vary in different locations of the libraries and are best near the information desks. Please refer to the signal strength map for your location.
  2. Were you able to get to the Use Agreement Page? You must accept the Terms and Conditions by clicking on the button below the page.
  3. Type in a web address directly into your browser’s URL address bar (eg: http://www.google.com)
  4. Do you have an IP address? The IP address should be something like 10.10.10.100.
    The last octet is what changes for each PC connected to the network. The IP range used on our network goes from 10.10.10.100 - 10.10.10.254
  5. If all else fails reboot your device.
  6. If you reboot and still cannot connect, let a staff member know.

Q: How do I check to see if my device has picked up an IP address on the library’s network?
A: To check for an IP address in Windows 2000 and Windows XP machines do the following:

  1. Go to Start >> Run
    and type in cmd in the open box
    This takes you to the DOS prompt
  2. At the DOS prompt type in ipconfig
    This should bring up a screen that displays the IP address.

To check for an IP address in Windows 95/98/NT machines do the following:

  1. Go to Start >> Run
    And type winipcfg in the open box
    This takes you to the IP configuration page with the information displayed.

Q: Can I connect to my Office using a Virtual Private Network Connection from the Johnson County Library’s Wireless network?
A: VPN access is not available through the Johnson County Library’s wireless network. Because VPN (Virtual Private Network) technology uses different ports for different vendors, it will be a management nightmare to try to open and support all the different ports for the different vendors. Additionally, the bandwidth on which we are running our wireless network is not scaled for VPN use especially since we cannot control how many people can get on at a time.

For future updates on our wireless services, you can bookmark this page, or just link to: http://www.jocolibrary.org/wireless. 

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