How to Connect a Sony Vaio Laptop to a Broadband Connection

By Andrew Tennyson

Hook Up a Wireless Laptop
i Images 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8: MorgueFile.com, Images 4, 6: Chris Capelle

Connecting your Sony’s Vaio laptop to broadband opens you up to a world of high-speed possibilities, including fast downloads, surfing and content streaming. Some Vaio laptops have both Wi-Fi and Ethernet cards, while others have one or the other. As a result, depending on network availability and the features of the Vaio laptop you're using, you can connect to a broadband network either wirelessly or via a wired connection. Additionally, some Vaio laptops come with Sony’s proprietary Wireless Wizard application. How you go about setting up a broadband connection on a Vaio laptop with Wireless Wizard differs slightly from on a laptop without Wireless Wizard.

Wired Broadband Without Wireless Wizard

Step 1

Connect an Ethernet cable from the WAN port on your modem or router to the Ethernet port on your Vaio laptop. The Ethernet port resembles an enlarged telephone jack.

Step 2

Click the Windows “Start” button and click “Control Panel.”

Step 3

Enter “network” (without quotes) in the Search box and click “Network and Sharing Center.”

Step 4

Click “Set up a new connection or network."

Step 5

Click “Connect to the Internet” and click “Next.”

Step 6

Click the “No, create a new connection” radio button and click “Next.”

Step 7

Click “Broadband (PPPoE).”

Step 8

Enter your broadband username and password, if your Internet service provider requires them, and an identifying label for your connection in the provided fields. Click the “Remember this password” check box and click the “Connect” button.

Wired Broadband With Wireless Wizard

Step 1

Click the “Start” button and click “All Programs.”

Step 2

Mouse over “VAIO Wireless Wizard” and click “VAIO Wireless Wizard” on the submenu that appears.

Step 3

Click “Wireless LAN.”

Step 4

Click “Setting Up Your Wireless LAN” and click “Yes.”

Step 5

Select the make and model of the router to which you want to connect.

Step 6

Connect an Ethernet cable from your laptop to your router and click the “Next” button. Make note of the username and password displayed on your screen as you'll need them in the future should you want to connect to this broadband connection wirelessly.

Wireless Broadband

Step 1

Turn your Vaio’s Wi-Fi switch on. The location of the switch varies depending on the Vaio model you're using. The switch is usually labeled “Wireless” or “WLAN.”

Step 2

Click the network icon located in the system tray.

Step 3

Click the name of the broadband network to which you want to connect.

Step 4

Click the “Connect” button.

Step 5

Enter your broadband network name and password in the provided fields, if prompted.

Step 6

Click “Continue” to finalize the configuration of your wireless broadband connection.

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