One of the most common support issues seems to be loss of network/internet connectivity. Here are a few troubleshooting tips when this happens to you. Do you have a physical connection to the router and/or modem? I am going to assume a high speed connection here (broadband and not dial-up). Check to see that there is a connection light on the router and/or modem. If it’s a modem, it will usually say something like PC/connection. If it’s a router, it may just have a number associated with the port, or connection, that you are plugged into. Okay, you’ve established that you have a physical connection. What now?
Let’s make sure you have an ip address. …Click on the “Start” button on the lower left hand corner. Then select “Run.” This will bring up a new box. In the box, type “cmd” if you are running windows 2000 or Xp, and “command” if you are running 95, 98, or Me. This will bring up a black box. (By the way, win 9x has a graphic interface for this. To open it, type “winipcfg” in the run box.) Type “ipconfig.” This will show us our current ip address. If you have a 169.x.x.x number, then you have been “autoassigned” a number and need to renew your ip address. You can do that by either restarting your computer or typing “ipconfig /renew” . If it comes back with a 192.x.x.x or some other number besides 169.x.x.x, then you are probably in business. Just to mention, if you have a number besides a 192.168.x.x number, then you might have a public ip address. This means that your computer is directly connected to the internet and therefore open to being exploited. You should install a firewall on your network. Email me if you have questions about that.
Ok, what happens if you can’t renew your ip address? Good question. If you receive a message that says something about not being able to contact the dhcp server, then a few things might be happening. Your modem may need to be power cycled, your modem/router might not be set up to give out ip addresses (that’s what a dhcp server does), or your machine might have something wrong with the tcp/ip stack. Power cycling the modem/router is always a good thing to try when you run into these situations. Unplug the power cable for about 5 seconds and then plug it back in. It’s that simple. Afterwards, try renewing your ip address - “ipconfig/renew” . If you still can’t get a ip address, consult your router’s manual to see how you can check to see if dhcp is enabled. This process is usually pretty straight-forward. The last problem is a little more difficult. At this point, I would run a good spyware program. I have some listed on the right column. If you’re at all concerned it’s a virus, you can run an online scanner that is listed on the right too. If all else fails, I would reset the tcp/ip stack. Click on the “start” button again. Select “run” again. “Cmd” or “command” should already be in the box. Hit “ok” . In the black box, type “netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt” . Don’t worry about what that means, just type it. If that still doesn’t work, then something else may be going on that we’ve missed. As always, feel free to email me.
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
Recent Comments