Connect to a network in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 7
You can use this procedure to connect a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 to a network using a wireless, wired, VPN, or dial-up connection. After you establish the connection, you can access resources on the remote network according the permissions that are granted to you by the administrator on that network.
Any user account can be used to complete this procedure.
To connect to a network
Click the Network icon in the notification area. The Currently connected to dialog box opens.
In Currently connected to, click the network connection to which you want to connect, and then click Connect.
If the connection you select requires additional information, such as a user ID and password, or a Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security key, Windows prompts you for the required information. After you supply all required information, the connection is completed.
You can also connect to a network by using commands at the command prompt.
To connect to a wireless network, use the netsh wlan connect command. For more information, see Netsh Commands for Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) in Windows Server 2008 R2 at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=201598.
To connect to a dial-up or VPN network for which you have defined profiles, you can use the rasdial command. For more information, see Rasdial at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=201597.