Contact Us || About Our Program

Internet Connection Solutions

Problems with the Internet? Try these easy steps.

  1. Restart the computer. Nine times out of ten this fixes the problem.
  2. Test the jack. You must be plugged into one of the orange jacks. In a single room, only one jack will work, so try both.
  3. Test the equipment.
    1. Try a different jack that you know works, such as a lab jack or your suitemate's. If it works then you have a jack problem.
    2. Try a different cable that you know works, such as your roommate's. If it works then you need a new cable.
  4. Check your computer settings.
    (Collapse All | Expand All)
    1. Windows Vista
      1. Look for your Ethernet card:
        1. Right-click on My Computer from the Start Menu or on the desktop.
        2. Left-click on Properties.
        3. Click on Device Manager on the left side under "Tasks".
        4. Expand the Network Adapters and look for any yellow exclamation points. Make sure a card is listed.
        5. If there are exclamation points, or if there is no card listed, you need to reinstall the card.
      2. Set your IP address to configure Automatically (through DHCP):
        1. Go to the Control Panel in your computer (in the Start Menu).
        2. Go to Network & Sharing Center.
        3. Under "Network", go to Local Area Connection and select "View Status". In new window, choose Properties at the bottom.
        4. Scroll down "This connection uses the following items" list to Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
        5. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.
        6. Change to "Obtain an IP address automatically".
        7. After you have changed this, restart computer.
      3. Check to see if your network connection is on:
        1. Go to the Control Panel in your computer.
        2. Go to Network Connections. If you cannot see Network Connections, go to Network and Internet Connections and then go to Network Connections from there.
        3. If there is a red X through the Local Area Connection, or the Local Area Connection is grayed out, double-click on the X to enable.
    2. Windows XP
      1. Look for your Ethernet card:
        1. Right-click on My Computer from the Start Menu or on the desktop.
        2. Left-click on properties.
        3. Go to the Hardware tab and click on Device Manager
        4. Expand the Network Adapters and look for any yellow exclamation points. Make sure a card is listed.
        5. If there are exclamation points, or if there is no card listed, you need to reinstall the card.
      2. Set your IP address to configure Automatically (through DHCP):
        1. Go to the Control Panel in your computer (in the Start Menu).
        2. Go to Network Connections. If you cannot see Network Connections, go to Network and Internet Connections and then go to Network Connections from there.
        3. Right-click on Local Area Connection and go to Properties.
        4. Scroll down the "This connection uses the following items" list to Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
        5. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.
        6. Change to "Obtain an IP address automatically".
        7. After you have changed this, restart the computer.
      3. Check to see if your network connection is on:
        1. Go to the Control Panel in your computer.
        2. Go to Network Connections. If you cannot see Network Connections, go to Network and Internet Connections and then go to Network Connections from there.
        3. If there is a red X through the Local Area Connection, or the Local Area Connection is grayed out, click on Local Area Connection and click "Enable."
    3. Macintosh OS X (10.4 or "Tiger")
      1. Look for Network Cards:
        1. Go to the System Preferences panel from the Dock or Apple Menu.
        2. Open Network icon under Internet and Network.
        3. This shows your current network settings. Green lights for each device means it is connected and red mean there is no connection.
        4. Go to Show and then click on Built-in Ethernet.
        5. Under the TCP/IP tab make sure "Using DHCP" is chosen under the top option.
      2. Renew IP address. Hit "Renew DHCP" or change it to a manual address. Then restart and change it back to DHCP to renew the connection.
      3. Set your IP address to "Configure Automatically using DHCP". Under the Ethernet tab make sure that configure is set to "Automatically". Click OK until you are back to the main System Preferences windows.
      4. Check your privacy setting
        1. Go to Sharing under Internet and Network in System Preferences
        2. Under Services everything should be unchecked.
    4. Macintosh OS X (10.5 or "Leopard")
      1. Look for Network Cards:
        1. Go to the System Preferences panel from the Dock or Apple Menu.
        2. Open Network icon under Internet and Network.
        3. The left menu shows your current network settings. Green lights for each device means it is connected and red mean there is no connection.
        4. Select Ethernet from the left menu. Go to Advanced.....
        5. Under the TCP/IP tab make sure "Using DHCP" is chosen under the top option, "Configure IPv4".
      2. Renew IP address. Hit "Renew DHCP" or change it to a manual address. Click OK.Then restart and change it back to DHCP to renew the connection.
      3. Click OK until you are back to the main System Preferences window.
      4. Check your privacy setting
        1. Go to Sharing under Internet and Network in System Preferences
        2. Under Services everything should be unchecked.
  5. Make sure your computer is clear of all viruses, spyware, and adware. Instructions to do this can be found on the Mandatory Computer Setup and the Virus and Spyware Prevention Setup Instructions.