You'll be up and running in no time
Written by: Christopher Jan Benitez
Posted on: in: Networking
A faulty Wi-Ficonnection doesn’t have to ruin your day. There are plenty of ways you canrestore a lost internet connection. Follow these network troubleshooting tipsand you’ll be up and running in no time.
1. Check Your Settings
First, check yourWi-Fi settings. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi. Switch Wi-Fi to the Onposition.
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Phones andtablets also have settings that turn Wi-Fi on and off. Make sure that it isturned on so you can connect to the network.
You also want tocheck if Airplane Mode is turned on.
2. Check Your Access Points
Check your WAN(wide area network) and LAN (local area network) connections. In layman’sterms, these are the Ethernet cables that go to and from your router.
If you suspectthat the cables are the culprit, try swapping them out with new ones.
3. Go Around Obstacles
Walls, furniture,and other obstructions can be the reason why you’re unable to go online. Movingcloser to the router can re-establish the connection. If moving closer to therouter does not solve the issue, then at least we can remove it from the listof suspects.
4. Restart the Router
Sometimesrestarting the router can help fix connectivity issues. This is even truer incases where the router has not been turned off in a while. A quick restart canjolt the router back into working like it used to.
If that doesn’twork, you might also consider resetting the router. But only do so if you’reokay with it being restored to its factory settings. You will have toreconfigure everything including the SSID and password.
5. Check the Wi-Fi Name and Password
Check the networkname (otherwise known as SSID) and password of the network connection. Ifyou’re used to connecting automatically when in range of a router but are nolonger able to, changes may have been made to the network while you’re away.
It could be assimple as administrators updating the password or the SSID could have beenchanged to a different one.
6. Check DHCP Settings
Routers areusually set up as DHCP servers. This setting lets computers join a networkautomatically. With DHCP turned on, users will no longer have to mess with IPAddress and DNS Server settings manually.
To edit your DHCPsettings, go to Windows Settings> Network & Internet > Wi-Fi. Under Wi-Fi, click Manage KnownNetworks. Select a network and click Properties.
Under IP Settings, click Edit. From the drop-down menu, select Automatic (DHCP).
Note: Selecting Manual will letyou set your DNS Server Address and IP Address settings manually.
7.Update Windows
Your networkproblems could be caused by your system. If that is the case, Windows couldhave possibly released a fix. Try updating your Windows machine to the latestrelease.
Go to Windows Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Click Check for Updates. If there are updatesavailable, Windows will download and install them.
8.Open Windows Network Diagnostics
Windows has atool called Windows Network Diagnostics that lets users troubleshoot connectionissues.
Go to Windows Settings > Network & Internet > Status. Under Change Your Network Settings, click Network Troubleshooter.
Windows NetworkDiagnostics will run a couple of tests to see what’s possibly causing yourWi-Fi issues.
Windows will letyou know if it does not find any issue. Otherwise, you will be given a list ofpossible actions to take to resolve the problem.
This tool, or aversion of it, should be available in Windows 7 to Windows 10.
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Christopher Jan Benitez is a freelance writer for hire who provides actionable and useful web content to small businesses and startups. In his spare time, he religiously watches professional wrestling and finds solace in listening to '80s speed metal. Read Christopher's Full Bio