At first, setting up a wireless connection on a system running Windows Server 2008 seems pretty straightforward. Simply open the 'Network and Sharing Center', go to 'Change Adapter Settings', right-click on the wireless network controller, and select 'Enable'. Now configure the network settings.
However, you might notice that the wireless connection is still disabled. This is because the typical installation of Windows Server 2008 is locked down with 'Roles and Features' disabled by default. The fix is very easy though, simply follow these steps:
1. Open Server Manager 2. Select 'Features' in the left pane 3. Select 'Add Features' 4. Select the 'Wireless LAN Service' checkbox 5. Press the 'Install' button to confirm your selection
After installation of the Wireless LAN Service feature is complete, you can go back to Network Connections and enable the wireless controller (if it didn't already become enabled). And now you can right-click on the connection and select Connect/Disconnect and configure settings for the wireless network to which you want to connect.
