If Something Goes Wrong

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Resolving a hardware conflict

❖Use the PING command to verify a connection to the gateway at 192.168.1.1 (a default gateway for most wireless routers).

1 Click Start to open the Start menu.

2 Type Cmd in the search field.

3 At the top-left of the Start menu, click cmd.exe.4 Enter PING 192.168.1.1 at the command prompt, and press

Enter.

5 If “Request Timed Out” or another error message appears in response, then the problem is probably Wi-Fi®-related.

❖If you have enabled any security provisions (closed system, MAC address filtering, Wired Equivalent Privacy [WEP], etc.), check the access point vendor's Web site for recent firmware upgrades. Problems with WEP keys, in particular, are frequently addressed in new firmware releases.

Special considerations for the Windows® operating system

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption is not enabled on the wireless access point.

When you install a wireless access point device, the Windows® operating system checks whether WEP encryption is enabled on the device. If it is not enabled, the Windows® operating system adds the device to its list of available wireless networks, but does not create a wireless connection using the device, since the connection would not be secure. You can still, however, use the access point. To use an access point without WEP encryption, follow these steps:

1Double-click the Wireless Network icon in the Notification Area (far-right portion of the Windows® Taskbar).

2Click Connect to a network.3Select the desired network from the list and click Connect.A message informs you that the selected network is not secure.4Click Connect Anyway.5The Windows® operating system will now try to establish a wireless connection.