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Using your BlackBerry® smartphone to connect to a Wi-Fi® network is fast, easy and possibly cost-effective! When you connect to the Internet with a Wi-Fi network, you might avoid data charges that are associated with using your mobile network, and in many cases, the connection speed is faster.

Here’s some additional stuff to know when it comes to using Wi-Fi on your BlackBerry smartphone. To learn more about your BlackBerry smartphone, check out the user guide.

How to tell if you have a Wi-Fi network connection

When you use a Wi-Fi network connection on a BlackBerry smartphone, new icons will appear on the home screen that will help you identify if a successful Wi-Fi network connection was made. Using my BlackBerry smartphone, for example, I have a connection to the Rogers™ mobile network and the corporate Wi-Fi network. Notice the new icons that appear beneath the 3G Connection Indicator icons in the top right corner?

Here’s an overview of what these Wi-Fi specific icons mean:

This icon appears when you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you can access BlackBerry services such as email messaging and Internet browsing over the Wi-Fi connection.

When this icon appears like this, your Wi-Fi connection is turned on, but you are not connected to a Wi-Fi network; or, you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, but you cannot access BlackBerry services such as email messaging and internet browsing over the Wi-Fi connection.

Connect to a Wi-Fi network

Now that you are familiar with how to identify when you’ve made a successful Wi-Fi network connection, it’s time to connect to a Wi-Fi network!

1. On the home screen, select the connections area at the top of the screen (Figure 1), or select the Manage Connections icon (Figure 2). NOTE: The Manage Connections icon is the only option for those using BlackBerry device software 5.0 or earlier.

Figure 1

Figure 2

2. Select Wi-Fi Network.
3. If you want to connect to a public hotspot or to a Wi-Fi network that does not require authentication, select the “Show Open Networks Only” checkbox.
4. Select the Wi-Fi network that you want to connect to.
5. If the Wi-Fi network requires authentication, type the password for the network.

Connect to a Wi-Fi network using Wi-Fi Protected Setup

If your wireless router or wireless access point includes Wi-Fi Protected Setup™, you can quickly connect to a Wi-Fi network without entering a long password. To learn more about using Wi-Fi Protected Setup, check the user guide of your wireless router.

1. On the Home screen, select the connections area at the top of the screen, or select the Manage Connections icon.
2. Select “Set Up Wi-Fi” followed by “Other Ways to Connect”.
3. Select “Wi-Fi Protected Setup”.

• To use the Wi-Fi Protected Setup button on your router or access point, select “Press Button on Router”. On your router or access point, press the Wi-Fi Protected Setup button. On your BlackBerry smartphone, select “Start”.
• To use a PIN, click “Enter PIN into router”. On your smartphone, select “Start”. Your smartphone provides you with a PIN. On the administration screen for your router or access point, type the PIN.

Connect to a Wi-Fi network manually

If you know the name of the Wi-Fi network that you want to connect to, you can manually connect to the network.

1. On the Home screen, select the connections area at the top of the screen, or select the Manage Connections icon.
2. Select “Set Up Wi-Fi” followed by “Other Ways to Connect”.
3. Select “Manually Connect to Network”.
4. In the SSID field, type the name of the Wi-Fi network.
5. Click “Next”.
6. In the Security Type field, click the Wi-Fi network security type and specify any requested information.
7. Click “Save” and “Connect”.

Got a question about Wi-Fi on a BlackBerry smartphone? Leave a comment and let me know!