Q&A: Troubleshooting Shared Network Connections
Question:
I was sharing my Internet connection with one other computer (wired) and a laptop (wireless). The modem and router (Netgear) were moved from one location to another. After that, the original PC I was using is without a connection. That PC works OK at other locations; other laptops work OK at the problem site.
An "expert" said I should uninstall Internet Explorer and reinstall it. I did—nothing happened. The cable has been tested. PCs have been tested. I think there is a sharing issue. The router IP configuration is set to auto, as it is in all PCs. Hope you can help.
Answer:
These networks problems can be pretty mysterious. The first step is to determine if the problem PC is connected to the network at the problem location. That can be done with a program called ping.
Open the Command Window (All Programs/Accessories/Command Prompt). Enter ping and the IP (address) of the router. If you get a response as shown, you are connected and there may be some other issue. My guess is that you get "Destination host unreachable," which means you are not connected. In this situation, the problem is certainly not Internet Explorer.
After you recheck that each computer is set to "Obtain an IP address automatically" in the TCP/IP properties of the network connection Properties window, reset the entire network, starting with the modem.
- Turn off all computers, the router and the modem.
- Turn on the modem and let it establish a connection with your Internet Service Provider (ISP), 30 seconds to a minute.
- Turn on your router, allowing time for it to sync with the modem.
- Turn on the problem computer at the problem location. Check to see if it works without all the other computers active.
- Bring up the other computers one at a time.
If the problem computer doesn’t work at Step 4, then the issues (settings, firewalls, etc.) need to be resolved before moving to Step 5.
If the computer works at Step 4, but stops working at Step 5, then the issue involves another computer on the network.
Generally, the five-step process above will resolve most network issues as long as all equipment is powered down prior to starting. If it doesn’t work, call it a night and go to bed. In the morning, it will either work or you will quickly find the solution. I don’t know why that is, but it is!
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