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Step 1
Research the network you wish to join. This means reading up on how people are reviewing it, talking to current users to see if this level of service will answer your needs, and then make an educated decision if this is something that will meet all of your requirements.
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Step 2
Call the network's management office and make sure that service is known to be available in your area. In many cases, three buildings down from you might have coverage, but that is where the network's boundaries stop. While you have the network's managing office on the phone, ask them to give you an idea what service is like in your neighborhood. WiFi can work wonderfully in one block and then be miserable in another due to variables like interference, among other issues. If you are satisfied with everything that you have heard, sign up and remember to get all of the configuration information necessary to connect your computer to the network. These instructions will be different from network to network, so getting the exact details that you need is critical.
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Step 3
Purchase a high power WiFi device, not the typical ones available at your local office supply store. You want something that is rated 3-400mw (milliwatts), where the off-the-shelf WiFi device available at your big box outlet will usually have a 32mw output power. Amazingly, these higher powered devices are not all that much more expensive than what you would pay elsewhere, but the difference in performance is dramatic.
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Step 4
Install your new high-power WiFi device according to the manufacturer's instructions. If possible, orient your computer so that the WiFi device's antenna isn't under a metal desk and beside a filing cabinet. WiFi doesn't pass through metal.
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Step 5
Setup your computer according to the instructions you received from the network administration office, and test your wireless connection. If you are unable to connect, try repositioning the computer. If that doesn't work, you may need to invest in a CPE. CPEs (Customer Premise Equipment, industry terminology) have come down in price to where one can be purchased in the $100 range as of 2009. However, you may need to get a professional to come out and do a rooftop installation for you, and the installation price will vary depending on your specific circumstances.
