How to Use WPA and WPA2 on a Macbook

Wireless networks are ubiquitous these days, and smart owners put security on them. While there are many flavors of security available, and with some more secure than others, using a WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) password on a wireless network is the prudent thing to do. Using a MacBook computer often requires entering a network key to be able to access the WPA-protected network.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• MacBook computer Wi-Fi network with WPA encryption

1. 
    
   Look for black bars, which indicate signal strength.

   Boot up your MacBook, and locate the desired network. The list of accessible networks can be found under the Airport icon, which is shaped like a pizza slice, in the menu bar in the upper right-hand part of the screen. If you only see the outline of the Airport icon, then click on it and select Turn Airport On.

2. 
    
   This Airport is turned off.

   Select the network you want to connect to from the list of networks under the Airport icon. If you have OS X.5 or later installed on your MacBook, there will be a lock icon to right of the name of the password in the list, indicating it requires a network key.

3. 
    
   The Airport Extreme.

   Enter the WPA or WPA2 network key when prompted. Your MacBook is designed to know what kind of security the wireless network is using. WPA passwords, like most other passwords in the tech world, are case sensitive.

4. 
    
   You can configure most routers to require a WPA password.

   Look for the pizza-shaped icon to turn black. Think of this as a signal strength indicator, much like a cell phone, the more bars that are black, the stronger the signal is.

5. 
    
   A MacBook.

   Set up any wireless network of your own with a WPA passkey. Apple Airport routers are configured using Airport Utility, which is found in Utilities inside the Applications folder. Use browser software (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Netscape) to configure virtually every other brand of routers.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the "Remember this network" box to avoid having to enter the network passkey the next time you connect to that particular network.
• Always protect your own network with a password.

Resources

• Apple
• Wi-Fi Alliance