The Nokia N81 8GB has built-in wi-fi functionality which means you can take advantage of the faster connections of wireless networks when you are in range of hot spot.

There are two main advantages of using wi-fi (or to the the technical minded an 802.11 wlan network) rather than the Nokia N81 8GB's 3G connection: the first is that it's generally faster and the second is that you can download as much data as you want and avoid breaking your network provider's bandwidth cap.

However Nokia's N-Series phones have a reputation for being a bit 'erratic' with wi-fi connections - particularly on networks secured with password security. So make sure you follow these instructions carefully and you have the latest version of your handset's firmware installed.

Connecting to a wi-fi network via the Active Standby screen

The easiest way to get your Nokia N81 8GB onto a wi-fi network is using the Active Standby screen which appears when your handset hasn't been used for a while.

1. In the Active Standby screen, highlight 'WLAN scanning off' and click on it. It will switch to 'Refreshing...' and then 'WLAN networks found' if there are any wi-fi networks within range
2. Click on the 'WLAN networks found' and then Search for WLAN to bring up a list of the available networks. The icons to the right of the network names indicate the strength of the signal and whether the networks are locked and require a password
3. Click on the network you want to join - if it is protected a password prompt will occur, usually labelled 'WEP key for WALN' or 'Pre-shared key for WLAN'. Enter the password carefully
4. If your password was accepted the Active Standby message will change to say something like 'BTHomeHub.. found'.Click on the message and select Start Web Browsing
5. You will now see the Nokia N81 8GB's web browser's options - congratulations you're online with wi-fi!

Connecting to a wi-fi network via the WLAN wizard

You can also use the Nokia N81 8GB's WLAN connection wizard to join a wi-fi network - this works in much the same way as the abpove method but you get more options and details about the networks.

1. Use the Main Menu shortcut button to go to the Main Menu. Click on Tools
2. In the Tools Menu click on WLAN wiz.
3. You will see a list of available networks. Click on the one you want to join and select Start Web browsing. You will be prompted for a password if required and you'll be online if it's accepted.
4. If select a network and choose Details you will see more information about the signal strength, security and speed of the selected network