159
If Something Goes Wrong
Wireless networking problems
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, from the Start
screen begin typing
Computer
. If you are in the
Desktop screen, move your pointer to the upper-right
corner of the screen or swipe in from the right edge.
When the Windows
®
charms appear click or touch the
Search
(
) charm, and then type
Computer
. Click or
touch
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
F12 key.
For more information see
❖
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
From the Start screen, type
Cmd
.
2
Click
Command Prompt
.
3
Enter
IPCONFIG/ALL
, and then 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.
❖
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.
NOTE
