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If Something Goes Wrong
Resolving a hardware conflict
❖Verify that the network connection is configured to obtain its
Internet Protocol (IP) address dynamically:
1Click Start, and then Network.
2Click View Status.
3Click Details.
4Verify that the DHCP Enabled setting is set to Yes.
5Click Close.
❖Use IPCONFIG to verify that the computer has a useful IP
address—one other than the private address of
169.254.xxx.xxx assigned by Windows®.
1Click Start to open the Start menu.
2Type Cmd in the search field.
3At the top-left of the Start menu, click cmd.exe to open the
command prompt.
4Enter IPCONFIG /ALL and press Enter.
The IP address for each active network adapter will be
displayed.
❖Connect your computer directly to your router or broadband
modem, by plugging a standard CAT5 Ethernet patch cable
(sold separately) into your computer's RJ45 Ethernet port. If
your connection problem disappears, the problem lies in the
Wi-Fi® part of your network.
❖Use the PING command to verify a connection to the gateway
at 192.168.1.1 (a default gateway for most wireless routers).
1Click Start to open the Start menu.
2Type Cmd in the search field.
3At the top-left of the Start menu, click cmd.exe.
4Enter PING 192.168.1.1 at the command prompt, and press
Enter.
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.