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Troubleshooting

Many of the common problems you may have can be fixed by using the guide below. If you have followed our step-by-step instructions but cannot connect to the network, you may benefit from these tips. If you have followed all of the directions and troubleshooting tips but you are still having problems, contact the Resnet office at 475-2600(voice) (5-2600 from a campus phone) or 475-4927(tty) for help.

Network Card Troubleshooting for Windows

The Windows 2000/XP families of operating systems have the ability to automatically detect the presence of an Ethernet adapter. Upon the first restart after installing the new adapter, the operating system will attempt to select and load the Ethernet adapter drivers without any intervention from you. That is the best case scenario for adapter installation. Listed here are a few problem scenarios. Follow the scenario that applies to your situation.

Common problems when troubleshooting your ethernet card

  1. Check Your Cabling - Make sure you are using the correct cable and that you are plugged into the blue jack on the wall. A common mistake is using a phone cable (RJ-11) instead of an ethernet cable (RJ-45). Phone cables plugged into an Ethernet jack will not function (images can be found here). Connectivity problems can occur if you have a faulty Ethernet cable. While there may be may be a number of issues for not being able to connect to the network, we can perform a quick test on the cable to see if it is functioning properly by bringing the cable down to the Resnet office. If the cable is working properly, the Resnet staff can then assess other problems that may be affecting your connectivity.
     
  2. Check Your Activity Light - When you are successfully connected to a network device the link light on most Ethernet cards will be flashing to indicate network activity.
     
  3. Update drivers - The most up to date drivers can be found on the device manufactuerer's website.
     
  4. Check that your Operating System recognizes the card - Depending on your operating system, there will be different ways for you to check that your card has been recognized. Right-click on My Computer and select Properties. In Windows XP/2000, it can be found in the Start menu. In the new window select the Device Manager button. Your card should appear under Network Adapters. If your Ethernet card does not appear in the list you may have installed it incorrectly. To correctly install your Ethernet card follow the instructions that came with it.
     
  5. Check that your card is correctly mounted in your computer - Often Ethernet cards become loose (especially after moving from home). If you have manually installed your Ethernet card, turn off your computer and unplug it. Open the case and remove your Ethernet card. Reinstall the card making sure it is correctly placed in the slot and screwed in tightly. Plug your computer back in and power it on. Windows should automatically detect the card.
     
  6. Run a stack fix - A stack fix repairs the software that controls the Ethernet card. You can do this in Windows 2000/XP/Vista by entering the following command:  
    1. Open up a command window (2000/XP Start->Run-> Type cmd)(Vista: Start->Start Search-> Type cmd). These commands may need to be run "as adminstrator".
       
    2. Type netsh winsock reset catalog and press Enter.
       
  7. Restart your computer

 

How can I find my IP address and what should it look like?

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