Troubleshooting

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Troubleshooting

Placement of your wireless networking hardware for optimal performance

Your wireless connection will be stronger the closer your computer is to your wireless router. Typical indoor operating range for your wireless devices is between 100 and 200 feet. In the same way, your wireless connection and performance will degrade somewhat as the distance between your wireless router and connected devices increases. This may or may not be noticeable to you. As you move farther from your wireless router, connection speed may decrease.

Factors that can weaken signals simply by getting in the way of your network’s radio waves are metal appliances, obstructions, and walls.

If you have concerns about your network’s performance that might be related to range or obstruction factors, try moving the computer to a position between five and 10 feet from the wireless router in order to see if distance is the problem. If difficulties persist refer to the user guide that accompanied your wireless router.

Note: While some of the items listed below can affect network performance, they will not prohibit your wireless network from functioning. If you are concerned that your network is not operating at its maximum effectiveness, this checklist may help.

You cannot connect to the Internet wirelessly

If you are unable to connect to the Internet from a wireless computer, check the following items:

Look at the lights on your wireless router. If you’re using a Dynex wireless router, the lights should be as follows:

The Power light should be on.

The Connected light should be on, and not blinking.

The WAN light should be either on or blinking.

Open your Wireless Networking Utility (WNU) software by clicking on the icon in the system tray at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. The tray icon should look like this (the icon may be red or green):

The window that opens should have a list of Available Networks. Available networks are wireless networks to which you can connect.

If you are using a Dynex 802.11g (54g) router, Dynex54g is the default name.

If you are NOT using a Dynex router, consult your router manufacturer’s user guide for the default name.

The name of your wireless network appears in Available Networks list.