128 Exploring Your Computer’s Features
Setting up for communications
5.375 x 8.375 ver 2.3
Accessing a network
To access a network:
❖At the office, connect an Ethernet cable to the RJ45 jack
on your computer. For specific information about
connecting to the network, consult your network
administrator.
❖While you are at home or traveling, you need a dial-up
connection. Ask your network administrator for the
telephone number of the network.
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 New Connection
Wizard :
1Click Start and point to All Programs.
2Point to Accessories, then to Communications, and
click New Connection Wizard.
3Enter the phone number of your network connection and
let the program dial the number.
The computer connects to the network.
Using the Ethernet LAN Port
When your computer starts, Windows 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 Windows to disable the LAN port.
To disable the LAN port:
1Click Start, click Control Panel, then Performance and
Maintenance.