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If Something Goes Wrong
Wireless networking problems
Wireless networking problems
This section provides general troubleshooting tips for networking
problems, specifically wireless (Wi-Fi
®
) networking.
The terms and concepts used assume a basic understanding of
networks, and may be for more advanced users. If you need
assistance or if you are not familiar with the terminology, please see
Windows
®
Help and Support or contact your computer technician.
❖ Verify that your computer can detect access points or routers. If
it can detect a Wi-Fi
®
access point or router then it may be a
configuration issue.
❖ Verify that signal strength is good using the utility provided
with the Wi-Fi
®
adapter.
❖ If another computer is on the same network, verify that it has
network access, and can connect to the Internet. If, for
example, the other computer cannot browse to a public Web
site, the ISP’s (Internet Service Provider) service may be
disrupted.
❖ Verify that the Service Set Identifier (SSID), or network
name, is correct—i.e., that it matches the SSID assigned to the
access point you are attempting to connect through. SSIDs are
case-sensitive.
❖ Check the Windows
®
Control Panel's Device Manager to verify
that the Wi-Fi
®
adapter is recognized by the Windows
®
operating system, and that the driver is loaded. To access the
Device Manager, click Start, Control Panel, System and
Security, and then System. Carefully note any error
messages—these will be very helpful if you should confer with
a support technician at a later time.
To enable or disable wireless communication, use the Hot Key
Fn + F8. For more information see “Disabling or enabling wireless
devices” on page 196.
❖ 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
®
.
1 Click Start to open the Start menu.
NOTE
NOTE