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Setting up a wireless LAN at
home to share computing
resources is becoming more and
more popular. Wireless LAN
manufacturers have simplified
the process of setting up a
wireless LAN to just a few quick
and easy steps. However, like
any computer hardware, wireless
LAN can work for months or years
and then all of a sudden, it
stops working. Before you call
in the professionals to check
your wireless LAN, here are a
few simple things you can do to
troubleshoot the wireless LAN
yourself.
1. First of all, save your work
and restart your computer. If
you have access to the wireless
LAN router and broadband modem,
restart them as well. This
simple technique has a
surprisingly high success rate.
2. If this technique fails, the
second thing is to check for
loose connections. If you have a
USB or PCMCIA wireless LAN card,
ensure that it is seated firmly
in the slot. If you have an
internal PCI wireless LAN card,
you will need to open the
computer casing to check the
connection.
3. If a loose connection isn't
the cause of failure, the next
thing to try is check Windows'
My Network Places. Are there any
new network icons that appear
there? Sometimes, your wireless
LAN card may detect another
network nearby that has a
stronger signal and connect to
the new network instead. If My
Network Places showed any
unfamiliar network name, simply
remove it. Then double click on
your own network name to
re-establish the connection.
4. If there is no new network
nearby, you can try to bring
your computer right next to your
wireless LAN router. If this
works, then it is likely to be a
case of interference. You should
think carefully what has changed
recently in your house. Maybe
you have added a new cordless
phone or other equipment that
use radio waves. Try switching
them off one at a time to
determine the source of
interference.
5. If you can't determine any
source of interference, you can
now try resetting the wireless
LAN router to its original
factory setting. You can login
to the router's control panel
using a web browser and look for
the option that allows you to
restore the settings to the
factory defaults.
If none of these techniques
worked, it is likely that there
is a hardware failure in your
network. You need to unplug each
piece of hardware in your
wireless LAN in turn to figure
out where the failure is. Once
you identify the source, call
the manufacturer and report the
fault. In the event you are
unable to isolate the source of
failure, call the manufacturer
and seek their advice. They
should be able to advise you on
how to troubleshoot your network
further. Just remember to stay
polite and be patient. |
