BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTIUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

COMPUTER SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY

Comp1111 Essential Skills for Computing Final

LAB INSTRUCTOR NAME: MATHEW LINDER

Set: 1C
Title:
Trouble Shoot Network Connection Problems

Team Members:
Student Name

Student Id

Email address

Student 1

Dhivya Manohar

A00927659

dmanohar@my.bcit.ca

Student 2

Jacky Tran

A00925932

Jtran50@my.bcit.ca

Student 3

Juven Ardine

A00931159

Juven1996@gmail.com

Student 4

Duy Pham

A00912376

Duy.phamthe91@gmail.com

Student 5

Johnny Marin

A00890072

Johnnymarin2011@gmail.com

Table of Contents
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Hook: Why is it relevant? .......................................................................................................................... 3
Challenges ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Definitions ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Forgot network key ....................................................................................................................................... 4
What do you need?................................................................................................................................... 4
Set-up the router ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Connect router to Internet ....................................................................................................................... 5
Connect Computer to Internet ................................................................................................................. 5
Choosing a wireless router........................................................................................................................ 6
Accessing webpage of most common routers .......................................................................................... 7
Troubleshooting slow internet connection................................................................................................... 8
Check and update your network adapter drivers ..................................................................................... 8
If youre using a wired connection, try modifying the flow control setting. ............................................ 8
Try turning off autotuning ........................................................................................................................ 8
Can't connect to a home network and ip address conflict solving ............................................................... 9
Cant connect to other computers or share files and printers on a home network................................... 14

Set sharing properties on the folder or printer you want to share ................................................ 17

Introduction
Networks are an important part in technology and businesses now days. Unfortunately they are still
prone to problems. We are covering solutions to a variety of problems that may occur with a network
connection. Our goal is to deliver easy to follow step-by-step solutions for these problems. Due to lack
of time we will not be covering the entirety of problems that are possible, but we chose some common
issues that would be useful to know how to solve.

Hook: Why is it relevant?

We are currently taking the Computer Systems program at BCIT. It is almost assured that each student
will be dealing with networks whether at home, or at their work location. Knowledge in network
troubleshooting would not only be beneficial when dealing with networks themselves but they may be
able to provide support to others or businesses making them a better candidate for hire.

Challenges
Some of the main challenges was trying to balance our personal end of term work load with our final
project work load. It was difficult to find a time to get together and collaborate. Another challenge that
presented itself was trying to fit the information we wanted within the 10 15 minute presentation,
including the live demo. We had to find out how much time each person would be able to speak without
going over the time limit.

Definitions

Router 1
o A networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks
WPA/WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access)2
o Security protocols and certification programs to secure wireless networks
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)3
o Not as secure as WPA/WPA2
o Provide data confidentiality same as a wired network
WAN/WLAN/LAN
o LAN - Local Area Network (computers in your house networked together)
o WLAN - Wireless Local Area Network (computers in your house networked together
without a cable)
o WAN - Wide Area Network (eg. connection to your ISP)
WCN
o Wireless Connect Now
o Easy router Set-Up for Windows 7 and Windows Vista
Ethernet Cable

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Router_%28computing%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Protected_Access

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_Equivalent_Privacy

SSID (Service set identifier)4

o case sensitive, 32 alphanumeric character unique identifier attached to
the header of packets sent over a wireless local-area network (WLAN) that acts as a
password when a mobile device tries to connect to the basic service set

Forgot network key

What do you need?

A wireless router (Choosing a wireless router)

A computer that has a wireless network adapter
A computer that has a wired network adapter (only for set-up)
A network (Ethernet) cable (only for set-up)

Set-up the router

WCN (If device has windows 7 logo)

Plug device into power source (No need to physically connect to computer)
Open Connect to a Network (by clicking

or

Click the default network of your router (identified in manufacturer name) on the list that appears
Follow instructions on your screen that appear

Without WCN

1) Plug device into power source

2) Connect one end of network cable to computers wired network adapter

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/SSID.html

3) Connect other end to router (any port not labeled WLAN, Internet or WAN

4) Open web browser and type address of routers configuration webpage. Either :
a. http://192.168.0.1
b. http://192.168.1.1
c. List on accessing the webpage
5) To enter website use the list or use username and password provided by router
6) Run the routers set-up utility
7) If no utility, Configure manually by referring to the information that came with your router
a. Choose name of your wireless network by specifying the SSID
b. Select type of encryption (WPA/WPA2 or WEP)
c. Choose password for wireless network
d. Change default administrative password of the router

Connect router to Internet

Broadband (cable,DSL,fiber optics) Internet Service

Connect the cable supplied by your provider to your router (to the Internet port)

Separate broadband modem

Plug one end of ethernet cable to the Internet port on your router
Plug the other end to modem
Connect the cable supplied by your provider to your modem

Connect Computer to Internet

1) Log on to your computer
2)
3)
4)
5)

Open Connect to a Network (by clicking

or
)
Connect to desired network (the one you named)
Put password when prompted (the one you set up)
You can now use the internet!

Choosing a wireless router

1) Windows 7
a. Get a windows 7 compatible device so that it supports WCN (easier set-up)

2) Speed and Technology

a. Consider 802.11g and 802.11n (
b. These are more recent and works faster and more flexible
3) Warranty
a. Always choose the better warranty when choosing between two products
4) Cost
a. Choosing more expensive devices may be unnecessary sometimes as you wont need all
the features it includes
b. Buy what you need
5) Reviews
a. Dont rush into buying anything. Always look at user reviews and compare it to your
own needs

Accessing webpage of most common routers

Troubleshooting slow internet connection

There are times when your internet is really slow. If you are curious about your internet speed,
Speedtest.net is a really good site for testing your download and upload speed. First figure out what
maximum speed you are supposed to get. Run the speed test and if your download speed is 10 Megabit
per Second (mbps) or lower than your maximum speed your service provider provides, you have a
problem. If you are using wireless, it should be a problem relating to where you placed your router,
which includes interference from thick walls. Therefore you should move you router to the middle of the
house, so the wireless connection can reach your whole house. The best way to test your connection is
when you are connected to the internet through Ethernet. If you are using Ethernet, the problem may
not be always related to your internet service provider, so before calling them, try these steps and see if
it solves your problem.

Check and update your network adapter drivers

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Click start
Search for Device Manager and open it
Find and expand Network adapters
Right click on your network card and click Properties
Click Search automatically for updated driver software

If youre using a wired connection, try modifying the flow control setting.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Click Start
Search for Device Manager and open it
Find and expand Network adapters
Right click on your network card and click Update Driver Software
Go to the Advanced tab
Find and make sure Flow Control is enabled

Try turning off autotuning

1.
2.
3.
4.

Click Start
Search for Command Prompt, right click and click Run as administrator
Type netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled, and then press ENTER.
Restart your computer

If none of the following solves the problem, contact your internet service provider. Your service provider
will help pinpoint and fix your internet connection. Sometimes slow internet is due to faulty internet
wires, modems, or routers. These problems cannot be fixed on your own, instead your internet service
provider should have the equipment to fix the problem.

Can't connect to a home network and ip address conflict solving

Make sure the router and modem are turned on.

If you're using a laptop, make sure the wireless switch on the front, side, or back edge of the
laptop is turned on.

If Windows doesnt detect a network that you think is in range of your computer, open Help and
Support and search for "Troubleshoot problems finding wireless networks."

Download and install the latest version of the network adapter driver from the manufacturer's
website.

Check IP settings configuration and wireless network configuration:

To do so, open control panel

Open view network status and tasks

Click on change adapter settings

Right click on the network adapter, and open properties

Open Internet Protocol Version 4

Set the settings based on your preferences, in most cases, all this things are set automatically, since
most routers are DHCP enabled, you may wish to change your IP address from here if there is an ip
address conflict.

Cant connect to other computers or share files and printers on a home

network
Make sure you connect to a network!
Make sure network discovery is turned on
Windows 7

Open Network and Sharing Center:

Open Advanced sharing settings

Choose Current Profile

Turn on network discovery

Windows 8

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC
settings.

Tap or click Network, tap or click Connections, and then tap or click your network
connection.

Turn on Find devices and content.

Password protected sharing

o

Create identical user accounts on all computers in the workgroup.

Turn off password protected sharing (Not recommend)

Make sure the computer that you want to connect to has at least one shared folder
Make sure all computers are in the same workgroup
o

Contact Network Administrator to setup workgroup for each computer

Set sharing properties on the folder or printer you want to share

o

Enable File and Printer sharing

Set Sharing Properties for printer

Go to Devices and Printers

Right-click to the printer that you want to share, then chose Sharing tab

Check Share and Apply

Set Sharing Properties for folders: Right-click to folder > Properties, go to tab Sharing

Conclusion
Though there are still a ton of different issues we could tackle this is a good start. We have taught you
how to deal with a forgotten password, a slow connection ip conflicts, connecting to other devices, and
connecting to a home network. These skills will come in handy in many ways when working with
technology that can connect to a network, and there will be a lot of that as you graduate from the CST
program. Overall most workplaces now days have some sort of network and it is handy to have these
skills wherever you go.