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Using the Wireless network

Use the software that came with your wireless card or computer to configure the settings and to verify a connection to the library's wireless network.

  • Make sure the value for SSID (network name) is set to "OPL-BPO 1”
  • Set the value for WEP to Disable WEP encryption
  • Set the Mode or Network Type to Access Point

How to connect

To use your laptop or other wireless device, follow these steps to connect to the public wireless network:

  1. Browse available wireless networks and choose "opl-bpo1".
  2. Open a web browser and enter your library card number and PIN. If you are visiting you may obtain a card for wireless access at the circulation desk.
  3. Check the box "I accept" to accept the library's terms of use to proceed.

You are now free to browse the Internet. By default, adult cards will provide unfiltered access to the Internet, while juvenile cards will provide filtered access (unless a parent requests otherwise).

Operating systems

Macintosh (Apple OS X) Network Settings

To access Macintosh (Apple OS X) Network Settings, follow these steps:

  1. Select: Apple Menu > System Preferences > Network button.
  2. Select TCP/IP tab and Configure "Using DHCP".
  3. Above the TCP/IP tab, you may need to Configure via "AirPort" or other wireless (WiFi) ethernet.
  4. Leave Domain Name Servers and Search Domains blank.

If you are using MobileMe, you will have to ensure that is turned off as it utilizes ports that are blocked on our wireless network.

Microsoft Windows 8 & 10

OPL's wireless network should be automatically detected by Windows 8 & 10. If it is not, follow these steps:

  1. Select the Networks icon.
  2. Make sure that Airplane Mode if Off and that Wi-Fi is turned on. Select oplbpo1 as your wireless network.
  3. Select Connect. It should read Connected beside oplbpo1.
  4. Open your browser of choice. You should be prompted with the login page where you must enter your valid library card number and PIN. If you are not prompted with the login page, enter https://oplbsc.biblioottawalibrary.ca in the address bar.

Disabling popup windows

The OPL Wireless Network uses a pop-up window to allow users to log out of the wireless connection. There are NO commercial advertisements connected to OPL pop-ups. If you use pop-up blockers, please enable pop-ups for this site to see the log out window.

You may have one or more pop-ups blocking software programs running on your computer, i.e. through your browser and a toolbar add-on. Please review the following list of common popup blockers, and check to see which ones may be installed on your computer.

Instructions for disabling some of the most common popup blocking programs are described further below; the techniques for disabling other programs will be similar.

Google Toolbar

  1. If the Google Toolbar is blocking the OPL Log Out window, there are three ways to disable it:
  2. To let a popup through on a one-time basis, press and hold the "Ctrl-" key as you click on a link or double-click on a thumbnail.
  3. The Google popup blocker can also remember certain sites and allow them to launch popup windows. This will allow you to have popup blocker enabled for all other web sites that are not listed as exceptions. To add OPL Wireless Aunthtication page to your list of permitted sites, simply connect to the OPL Wireless network and open your browser. Once you are on this page, click on the popup blocker button in the Google Toolbar. When you do so, the popup blocker button will change to notify you that popups are now allowed from the site that you are currently viewing.
  4. To completely disable the popup blocker, click the "Options" button in the Google Toolbar and un-check the checkbox next to "Popup Blocker" in the "Navigation" section. If you do not see an "Options" button on the Google Toolbar, click on the Google logo button and select "Options..." from the resulting drop-down menu.

Yahoo Toolbar

If Pop-Up Blocker is blocking the OPL Log out Wondow, there are three ways to override it:

  1. Press and hold the "Ctrl" key while clicking a link to override Pop-Up Blocker and allow any popup windows resulting from the click.
  2. Turn off Pop-Up Blocker by clicking on the Pop-Up Blocker menu and un-checking the "Enable Pop-Up Blocker" option.
  3. Add the source of the popup window to your "Allowed List" by clicking the Pop-Up Blocker menu and selecting "Always Allow Pop-Ups From...". Then select "http://172.50.4.6/login.pl" from the "Sources of Recently Blocked Pop-Ups" list and click "Allow."

AOL Toolbar

  1. Click "Settings" on the AOL toolbar.
  2. Click "Pop-Ups" in the "Essentials" tab.
  3. In the "Web Pop-Ups" tab of the "Pop-Up Control Settings" window, select "Allow Web pop-ups from these sites" from the available options.
  4. Enter "http://172.50.4.6/login.pl" and click "Add". Click "Save".

Firefox

  1. Launch a new Firefox browser window and then go to the "Tools" toolbar menu and select "Options..." Mac users should go to the "Firefox" toolbar menu and select the "Preferences..." option.
  2. In the new window that opens, click on the "Web features" icon in the navigation panel. For version 1.5 of the Firefox browser, select the "Content" tab instead.
  3. Uncheck the box next to "Block Popup Windows". Then, click the "OK" button to exit the "Options" window.
  4. Alternatively, you can leave the "Block Popup Windows" box checked and click on the "Allowed Sites" button to the right of it. In the "Allowed Sites" window that opens, type " http://172.50.4.6/login.pl" in the text field beneath "Address of the web site." Click the "Allow" button to the right of the text field and then click "Close" to confirm the addition.

Safari

The Safari browser does not allow you to selectively allow pop-ups from individual web sites, so you will have to globally turn the pop-up blocker on and off. You can disable the blocker before authenticating to the OPL Wireless network , and then re-enable the software once you have finished your Wireless session. There are two ways to disable Safari's pop-up blocker.

  1. Go to the "Safari" menu and un-check the option to "Block Pop-up Windows." You may also use the command-K keyboard shortcut.
  2. Go to the "Safari" menu and select the "Preferences..." option. Click on the "Security" icon, find the "Web Content" section, and then un-check the box next to "Block pop-up windows."

Pop-Up Stopper

If you have Pop-Up Stopper, an icon will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.

  1. To disable the blocker, right-click on the Pop-Up Stopper software icon.
  2. Un-check the checkbox next to "Enable pop-up blocking." Use the same steps to re-enable the software when you are done accessing the Wireless network.

Popup Manager (for Internet Explorer)

  1. Launch a new Internet Explorer browser window.
  2. Right-click with your mouse on the small color-coded area in the bottom left corner of your browser window. This bar of color will appear either red or green and is called a "widget".
  3. In the resulting drop-down menu, select the option to "Allow Popups from the OPL Wireless Network Authentication page. Note: In order to enable popups on an individual basis, press the "Ctrl" key while clicking on whatever is initiating the desired popup window.

Starware Toolbar (for Internet Explorer)

  1. To allow popups, connect to the OPL Wireless Network and launch a new Internet Explorer browser window. Once you are on the Authentication  page, click on the Popup Blocker button in the Starware Toolbar. Once you do, the toolbar button will change to indicate that popups will now be allowed.
  2. To completely disable the popup blocker, click on the arrow next to the Starware logo on the left-hand end of the toolbar. This will display the main menu in a drop-down list. Select the "Preferences..." option. In the message window that appears, uncheck the box to "Enable Popup Blocker." Click "OK" to close the window.

Norton Internet Security

This is a suite of software products that protect your computer from viruses, privacy threats, and spam. Pop-up blocking software is incorporated into the AntiSpam component of the program. This program is only available for the Windows operating system - not for Macintosh or Linux.

  1. Open up the Norton Internet Security program. You can either do this by selecting the program from the Start menu in the bottom-left corner of the screen, or by clicking on the program icon that appears in your browser toolbar.
  2. In the window that opens, click on the "Norton AntiSpam" button located in the left-hand panel.
  3. Select "Pop-up Blocking" from the resulting menu. Several new options should appear along the right-hand side of the window. Click "Turn Off".
  4. You may also want to turn off the Ad Blocking feature of the AntiSpam component. Just like the previous step, select "Ad Blocking" and then click "Turn Off".

Security

The following security issues are very important; please read carefully:

  • Because the Library’s wireless network is not secure, someone else can potentially capture information sent to or from your laptop.
  • It is your responsibility to protect your device from viruses and hackers (e.g. by using up-to-date anti-virus software, firewalls, etc.).
  • The Library recommends that credit card, online banking information and passwords NOT be transmitted while using the wireless network.
  • The Library assumes no responsibility for the safety of equipment or for laptop configurations, security or data files resulting from the connection to the OPL wireless network.