Exploring Your Computer’s Features

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Setting up for communications

Setting up the connection

To set up an office connection, consult your network administrator for network settings and additional considerations.

To set up a dial-up connection, use the Connect to the Internet Wizard:

1Click Start, Control Panel, Network and Internet, and then Connect to the Internet.

2Click Dial Up.

3Enter the phone number of your network connection.

4Click Connect and let the program dial the number. The computer connects to the network.

How to disable the Ethernet LAN port

When your computer starts, the Windows® operating system attempts to contact a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. If the computer is not connected to a network, it may pause a few minutes as it waits for a reply. To avoid this delay, you can reconfigure the Windows® operating system to disable the LAN port.

To disable the LAN port:

1Click Start, Control Panel, System and Maintenance, and then System.

2Click Device Manager under Tasks on the left side of the window.

3Select the appropriate network adapter.

4Click Action, Properties.

5Select the Driver tab.

6Click Disable.

7Click Yes.

8Click OK.

Your LAN port is now disabled.

To enable the Ethernet LAN port, repeat steps one through four. Select the General tab, then click Enable Device, Next, Finish, and then Close.