Hoover Hotspot

Hotspot icon

Come and enjoy free wireless internet access anywhere in our library. Alternatively you can view the following map to other free wireless spots in the Birmingham Metro area.

Printing on the Hotspot Wireless Network

Anyone with a wireless laptop can print to the Hoover Hotspot Xerox 8400 Printer, located in the Technology Hub. Staff in the Technology Hub can help you should you run into problems installing the printer drivers.

To print to the Hoover Hotspot Printer, please follow these simple steps:

  1. Download the printer drivers for your laptop from Xerox

Xerox Phaser 8400N: (All Versions)

  1. In the gray dialog box, click Open (or Run) to run the nstallation program.
  2. Choose I Agree to accept the terms of the license.
  3. Select the Select from the Discovered Printers radio button and highlight the Phaser and click Next.
  4. The printer driver will be installed on your laptop.
  5. On the successful installation screen, click on the Register box to uncheck registering the printer and click Finish.

You can now print on the Hoover Hot Spot!

Hoover Hot Spot Troubleshooting Guide

If your computer cannot see the wireless network at all or if you have a signal, seem connected, but you cannot get a web page to load, please follow the checklist to find a possible cause:
  • Move to another area in the library; it could be that the access point nearest you is down
  • Are your wireless card settings correct?
    • Is your wireless card enabled?
    • Does the wireless network you are connected to begin with HPL?
    • Is your card an 802.11b or 802.11g card?
  • Are your wireless network settings correct?
    • Do you have an IP address that begins with 192.168.1.x? From the command prompt, type in ipconfig/all
    • If not, perform an IP address release and renew command. From the command prompt, type in ipconfig/release and hit Enter. Once released, type in ipconfig/renew and hit Enter.
  • If applicable, check your firewall settings
    • Are you only allowing trusted sites to connect to your laptop? If so, unselect “Only allow trusted sites.”
Instructions on connecting to the Hoover Hot Spot are available in the Technology Hub.Notes and Limitations:
  • The Library's wireless network is not secure. Information sent from or to your laptop can be captured by anyone within three hundred feet with a wireless device and the appropriate software.
  • While on a web filter and behind a firewall, our wireless network is completely open.
  • Library employees are not able to provide advanced technical assistance.
  • The Library makes no guarantee that you will be able to make a wireless connection.
  • The Library assumes no responsibility for the safety of equipment, configurations, security or data files resulting from connection to the Library's wireless network.
  • If you make changes to your laptop’s configuration, make sure that you are able to change them back so that you can keep your computer as safe as possible.