The Nokia N85 can connect to the internet using a wireless network (WLAN) connection as well as a standard mobile web link. You can hop onto any WLAN connection - even protected ones as long as you know the password - and browse the web, send and receive email and use the phone's Maps application at high speed and without paying a penny to your mobile network provider.

Connecting to a WLAN via Active standby
If Active Standby is activated on your Nokia N85, your WLAN connection status is always visible from standby mode. The bottom line of the screen shows your WLAN status. If there are no wireless networks in the area, you'll see the message 'No WLAN network found'. If you're near a WLAN that you're not connected to, you'll see the message 'WLAN name found'.

To log on to this network, simply highlight the WLAN status line (Figure 1) and press the centre selection key. You'll see three options:

• Start Web browsing
• Search for WLAN
• Switch WLAN scan off.

Joining an open network
If you know that the WLAN the N85 has detected is an open, unprotected network (and needs no passcode to access), simply highlight Start Web browsing and press the centre selection key to go to your Bookmarks page and start browsing the web.

Joining a protected network
If the WLAN is protected, you'll need to enter a passcode to begin browsing. First highlight Start Web browsing and press the centre selection key. You'll be prompted to enter a 'WEP key for WLAN' (Figure 2). This is the  passcode that your or a network administrator applied to the wireless router when it was set up.

Some WLAN configuration tools will set up WEP security on your wirless router using an easy-to-remember password, but the N85 needs you to enter the hexadecimal equivalent. If you're not sure what this is but you know the router's password, go to WEPKEY.com, enter the password into the top field, click Generate keys and the hexadecimal equivalent will appear below. Enter the first 64bit key into the field and click OK. If the code is corrects you'll be taken to the Bookmarks page and you can start browsing the web. If not, you'll see the message 'Invalid WEP key' and the blank field will reappear. Try the second passcode listed on WEPKEY.com and so on.

Searching for other networks
The Nokia N85 will usually detect the WLAN with the strongest signal. If that's not the network you want to connect to, highlight  'WLAN name' found and click the centre selection key. Highlight Search for WLAN and click Select. A list of detectable WLANs will appear. Highlight the one you want to connect to and click Connect to join, entering the passcode if necessary. Again, you'll be taken to the  Bookmarks page and  can start browsing the web.

WLAN authorisation icon
You only have to enter a passcode into the N85 once. You'll know that you're authorised to use a particular WLAN because a round icon like that next to 'mat' in Figure 3 will appear next to its name.

WLAN wizard

You can also connect to wireless networks using the WLAN wizard. To find this, open the main menu, click on Tools and scroll down and left to highlight WLAN wiz. (Figure 5). Press the centre selection key to open the wizard.

The WLAN wizard opens to show you the active WLANs in the area (Figure 6). To access a network, highlight its name, click on Options and select Start Web browsing. Enter the hexadecimal passcode if required, press OK and your ready to start browsing the web