Features

In Windows Vista, it's slightly different. Under Access you should see the type of access your PC has: Local if you're not sharing an internet connection, or Local and Internet if you are. The Connection type tells you if you're using a wired (Local Area Connection) or wireless network.

How you progress from here will depend on your connection type. If your wired network is showing as disconnected or it's connected but you still can't access the network, there are a few things you can try. If you're using XP, right-click on the connection and select repair. If you're using Vista, click View status, Diagnose and then click the Reset the network adapter button. These options will disable the hardware, enable it and then try and get a new IP address. If you're still suffering from problems, you need to check the cable.

On the back of your PC there should be a solid green light where the network cable is plugged in. This shows that you have a connection. If there isn't, try unplugging the cable and pushing it in until it clicks. Next, follow the cable to your router or switch. The port it's plugged into, or a status panel, should have a solid green light, too. If it doesn't, check that the router has power, and try unplugging the cable and plugging it in until it clicks. If you still don't get a solid green light, try plugging the cable into another port on the router (unplug another PC if necessary). If this doesn't work, take the cable from a different PC and try that. If you're still not getting a green light, it's likely that your computer's network

ADVERTISEMENT

adaptor is broken and will need to be replaced. PCI Ethernet adaptors can be bought for around £5. If you've got a status light and Windows says you're connected but you've got network trouble, move on to the next section.

If you're using a wireless network, the steps are a bit different. In Windows XP, double-click the wireless icon to view the Status information. In Windows Vista, click View status. This information will tell you the name of the wireless network you're connected to under Network (also called SSID in your wireless router's settings). If this name matches the name of your wireless network, you're connected to the right place.

Try resetting your wireless router first. If this doesn't solve the problem, try to repair the connection. In Windows XP, right-click the wireless connection and select Repair; in Windows Vista, click View status, click Diagnose and then click the Reset network adapter button.

If you found that your network name doesn't match the name of the wireless network, you're connected to the wrong network. To fix this problem, we'll assume that you're using Windows to manage your wireless networks. If you're not and you're using your wireless adaptor's manufacturer's software, you'll need to read its documentation for full instructions.

In Windows XP, click the Properties button and click on the Wireless Networks tab. Select any network listed under Preferred networks that isn't your network and click Remove. Click the Advanced button and remove the tick from the Automatically connect to non-preferred networks box to stop your PC connecting to any unsecured wireless networks it finds. Click Close and you should be left with just your network to connect to. If it's not listed, you'll need to reconnect to it in the normal way.

In Windows Vista, click the 'Manage wireless networks' link from the Network and Sharing Center. This will display a list of wireless networks that your computer will connect to. Select any network that isn't yours and click the Remove button. You should be left with just your network. If it's not there, then you'll need to reconnect to it in the the normal way.