We offer WiFi access to visitors who bring their own equipment. Some things to note:
Monday-Thursday 9:00-9:00
Saturday-Friday 9:00-5:00
Sundays 1:00-5:00 September – May
Free – users provide their own equipment.
Once the laptop is on, a balloon message pops up in the lower right hand corner indicating that a wireless network is available. You can open an Internet browser and access one of our WiFi hotspots. Your computer can automatically detect and connect to our wireless access point, West Chicago Library, without any authentication.
After fifteen minutes of inactivity, the session will close. The general session will end after eight hours.
To access the network you should have your TCP/IP set to obtain an IP address automatically and obtain a DNS server automatically. To check the settings: in the lower right hand corner right click on the network icon and go to properties. Click on TCP/IP to highlight the line. Then click on properties: Our wireless network is called West Chicago Library.
If you are trying to access a private network using certain VPN software utilities, our firewall may prohibit you from doing this, or you may experience frequent disconnections.
Our access point is 802.11ac 1.3 Gbps 5 GHz, and 450 Mbps 2.4 GHz. It is backward compatible with older tech which means the good news is that “ac” will talk to “b” devices which will talk with “g” stuff and vice versa. It supports up to 253 simultaneous users at speeds up to 100 Mbps at distances up to 100 meters (328 feet.)
The farther away from the access point, the slower the packets move; the more people on the network, the slower the packet movement. Also the type of media in the packet affects the speed. If you are having difficulty with a weak connection, try relocating to a different part of the library.
The Internet is a public network. Be aware that information sent from your laptop can be intercepted by anyone else with a wireless device and the appropriate software. Transmitting any personal information such as passwords, credit card or Social Security numbers while using any wireless “hotspot” including the Library’s, is not recommended. If you choose to send personal information make sure you are connected to a Web site that encrypts data using Secure Socket Layering (SSL).