Troubleshoot network connection problems

Troubleshooting connection problems can be a challenge because there are so many possible causes. First, try these steps:

•Open Network Diagnostics by right-clicking the network icon in the notification area, and then clicking Diagnose and repair.

•Make sure that all wires are connected (for example, make sure your modem is connected to a working phone jack or cable connection, either directly or through a router).

•If you’re trying to connect to another computer, make sure that computer is on and that you have enabled file and printer sharing on your network. For more information, see Networking home computers running different versions of Windows.

•If your computer has a wireless network adapter, Windows will automatically detect wireless networks that are nearby. To see a list of wireless networks that Windows has detected, click the Start button , and then click Connect to. If Windows does not detect a network that you think is in range of your computer, open Help and Support and search for “Troubleshoot problems finding wireless networks.”

•If the problem began after you installed new software, check your connection settings to see if they have been changed.

1.Open Network Connections by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Network and Internet, clicking Network and Sharing Center, and then clicking Manage network connections.

2.Right-click the connection, and then click Properties. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

•Check your router. Because of the new networking features in Windows Vista, some older network routers are not fully compatible with Windows Vista and can cause problems. You can test your router to see whether it is fully compatible with Windows Vista by running the Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool. Or, for a list of routers that are compatible with Windows Vista, go to the Windows Logo’d Products List website.

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