Most mobile devices need more than one network configuration: one for
the office, one for home, and maybe another for when the user is
traveling. At the office, the mobile device uses settings that are
assigned by a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server on the
corporate network. At home, the mobile device uses different network
settings to communicate on the home network and access a shared printer
and a broadband Internet device. In some cases, a mobile device might
need to be configured to make a Wi-Fi connection when the user is away
from his or her desk and a DHCP configuration when the mobile device is
physically connected to the network, or vice versa. When a system uses
DHCP to obtain its primary network settings, you can configure alternate
network settings for those times when a DHCP server isn’t available,
such as when the user is traveling or at home. Systems can use alternate
configurations either automatically or through user interaction. When
in meeting rooms or elsewhere on the go, mobile device users are also
likely to need to connect to networked projectors, a task for which the
Connect To A Network Projector Wizard provides an easy solution.
Working with Mobility Settings
Windows Mobility Center, shown in Figure 1, provides a single location for managing important settings for mobile
devices and includes a series of control tiles that provide quick
access to the commonly used settings. On a mobile device, you can access
Windows Mobility Center by pressing and holding or right-clicking the
Power icon in the taskbar’s notification area and then tapping or
clicking Mobility Center. In Control Panel, you can open Mobility Center
by selecting Adjust Commonly Used Mobility Settings under the Hardware
And Sound heading.
The control tiles of Windows Mobility Center enable you to adjust
mobility settings by using options such as sliders to adjust the
display’s brightness,
a selection list to change the power plan, and a toggle button to turn
presentation settings on or off. Although the set of control tiles
available depends on the type of mobile device and the manufacturer, the
following are the most common control tiles:
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Battery Status
Shows the status of
the computer’s battery. You can use the selection list provided to
change from one power plan to another. If you’ve created any custom
power plans, these are available as well. Tap or click the related icon
to open the Power Options page in Control Panel.
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Brightness Enables
you to manage the brightness setting for the display. If brightness is
configurable on the computer, use the slider to adjust the brightness.
Tap or click the related icon to open the Power Options page in Control
Panel. Note that the Power icon in the notifications area of the taskbar
has similar options. Note that the Settings panel has a Brightness control as well.
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External Display
Enables you to
connect to a secondary display device, which might be necessary to give a
presentation. Tap or click Connect Display to access a secondary
display device connected through a cable. Tap or click the related icon
to open the Screen Resolution page in Control Panel.
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Presentation Settings
Enables you to turn
presentation mode on or off. In presentation mode, the mobile device’s
display and hard disk do not enter sleep mode when the computer is
inactive. Tap or click Turn On to enter presentation mode. Tap or click
the related icon to open the Presentation Settings dialog box.
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Sync Center
Enables you to view the status of file synchronization and initiate
syncing. Tap or click Sync to start a new sync using Sync Center. Tap or
click the related icon to open the Sync Center page in Control Panel.
-
Volume Enables you
to manage the current volume setting. If volume is configurable on your
computer, use the slider to adjust the volume. Select Mute to mute the
sound. Tap or click the related icon to open the Sound dialog box. Note
that the Volume icon in the notifications area of the taskbar has
similar options.
Note
Some mobile device manufacturers customize Windows Mobility Center by adding their own control tiles to extend these common options. For example, some HP mobile
devices include the HP Wireless Assistant control tile, which you can
use to configure wireless networking settings for the integrated
wireless device.
Travelling users will want to know how to turn off networking
quickly. There are several ways to do this but the easiest is to turn on
Airplane Mode. When
Airplane Mode is on, all networking is temporarily disabled. When you
later turn Airplane Mode off, all networking is re-enabled. To turn on
Airplane Mode, open the Networks pane by tapping or clicking the Network
icon in the notification area of the task bar. Enable Airplane Mode by
tapping or clicking the related option. Airplane Mode should then be set
to On.
You also can turn Airplane Mode on by following these steps:
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Slide in from the right side of the screen, or press Windows key + I.
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Tap or click the icon for the current network.
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Tap or click the Airplane Mode toggle switch, which should be set to On.
If you repeat either procedure, the next time you tap or click the Airplane Mode toggle, the mode should be set to Off.
Configuring Dynamic IP Addresses
DHCP gives you centralized control over IP addresses and TCP/IP
default settings. If a network has a DHCP server, you can assign a
dynamic IP address to any of the network adapter cards on a computer.
Afterward, you rely on the DHCP server to supply the basic information
necessary for TCP/IP networking. To enable dynamic IP addressing for
both IPv4 and IPv6, separate DHCP services must be set up for both IPv4
and IPv6.
To configure dynamic IP addresses, complete these steps:
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In Control Panel, tap or click View Network Status And Tasks under the Network And Internet heading.
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In the left pane in Network And Sharing Center, tap or click Change Adapter Settings.
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Network Connections displays a list of all network connections
configured for use on the computer. Press and hold or right-click the
connection you want to configure, and then tap or click Properties.
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Double-tap or double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), or
select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then tap or click
Properties. This displays the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 2.
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Select Obtain An IP Address Automatically. You can also select Obtain
DNS Server Address Automatically, or select Use The Following DNS
Server Addresses and then type preferred and alternate Domain Name
System (DNS) server addresses in the text boxes provided.
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Tap or click OK.
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If your organization or network uses IPv6, double-tap or double-click
Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6). Select Obtain An IPv6 Address
Automatically. You can also select Obtain DNS Server Address
Automatically, or select Use The Following DNS Server Addresses and then
type preferred and alternate DNS server addresses. Tap or click OK.
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Configure alternate private IP addressing as necessary (as discussed in the next section).
