The Oklahoma County Law Library is pleased to offer free wireless
 Internet access to its patrons.

The Oklahoma County Law Library offers wireless Internet access to the patrons of the library and has now added wireless printing.  Patrons with an appropriately configured notebook or laptop can now work at and print from anywhere in the library, such as study carrels, work tables or even a conference room. “Our continuing goal in the Law Library is to serve the legal community and improve our ability to assist the attorneys in the practice as best we can.  We believe the advent of these new wireless services will greatly enhance the practice of law and help our lawyers become more efficient in their work.” Judge Dixon, President, Board of Law Library Trustees.

The networking hardware needed is an IEEE 802.11 B/G compatible networking interface card or chip.  Older B wireless cards will work but G-enabled wireless laptops will have faster access.  New users may find that their laptop wireless antenna and/or service may need to be manually switched on.  Name of the wireless (SSID) is 2theweb.

The public wireless is full access to the Internet and the printing device attached.  In order to print you must install the correct printer drivers.  Printer drivers are available at the front counter of the Law Library.   There will also be a link to download the printer driver on the Oklahoma County Law Library web site http://www.oklahomacounty.org/departments/LawLibrary/index.html.

Below are some frequently asked questions (FAQ) we will answer for you to make this service more serviceable to you and your offices:

Question:  How can I use the wireless Internet at the Law Library?

Answer:  Most users can simply bring their wireless-enabled laptop computer or other wireless device to the Library and turn it on.  The computer will automatically recognize the wireless network.  The Law Library recommends a charged battery in all notebooks or laptops.  The Library provides electrical outlets in some areas of the Library, but not all.

Question:  Does it cost anything?

Answer:  No, the wireless connection is free of charge.  Printing is .20 cents per page. 

Question:  Can I print while using the Law Library’s wireless service?

Answer:  Yes, wireless printing at Oklahoma County Law Library is a very simple process, though it does require you to perform an initial setup procedure for each wireless network printer.  You must first download the printer driver for your operating system,  Windows Vista, Windows XP or 2000.  Once this procedure is done, you will see the Library’s’ wireless network printer included in your installed printer list.

Important Note:  Please give notice to the front counter that you have printed a job to ensure that your documents are printing correctly and to ensure proper document distribution.

Question:  What hours will this service be available?

Answer:  The wireless network and printing accessibility will be available during the Oklahoma County Law Library’s operating hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..  However, there is no guarantee of service at any specific time.

Question:  Must I register?

Answer:  As with using all computers in the Law Library we ask that you sign in at the front counter to assist us in tracking usage.  Time constraints are enforced pending availability on the PC terminals with Westlaw access.

Question:  Will I need any special settings or passwords?

Answer:   There are no passwords required.  In many instances, your computer or PDA will automatically detect and connect to the library’s wireless network.  If you computer or PDA does not connect right away make sure that your wireless utility is configured properly.

Please not that the Library staff cannot assist you with your laptop, card or configuration.  The Law Library cannot accept the liability of handling your equipment.

Question:  What can I do on the wireless network?

Answer:   Our wireless network offers you a high speed connection to the Internet that lets you:             -  Check your e-mail
                        -  Surf the Internet
                        -  Do online research
                        -  Save files to your own system

            Some other advantages are:

                        -  No waiting for a free public PC
                        -  No enforced time limits

 

Question:  Is the wireless network secure?  Is it 100% safe for me to send personal information?

Answer:  No, but wireless networks are not unique in this respect;  on all shared networks, whether wired or wireless, users can potentially eavesdrop on each other’s data, though it is not likely that they will.   If you are transferring confidential information (passwords, credit card numbers, online banking information, health data and so on)  you are strongly encouraged to use secure websites (SSL) or other techniques (SSH/ VPN) to safeguard your confidentiality,  the Law Library cannot ensure the privacy  of information you transfer over wireless network.  We can assure you that connecting your computer to the Internet via a wireless network does not increase your risk of exposure to viruses and other such risks.  Wireless hot spots do not produce viruses, which are most often transmitted as attachments to email.  It is strongly recommended that all users install and run a virus protections program.

Question:  Can the Law Library Staff help me configure my computer?

Answer:  Each computer is unique, and we’re sorry that we are not able to offer personal technical assistance with your configuration.  However, we do provide a webpage of technical assistance to help you with the most common issues.  The technical assistance webpage is available at:  http://www.oklahomacounty.org/departments/LawLibrary/index.html.