Windows 2000 Quick Fixes

Can’t connect to the Internet

TCP/IP is complex to set up, so problems with configuration often lead to the inability to connect to the Internet. And even when your computer is correctly configured, you may encounter problems with network hardware or remote sites. Understanding some basic troubleshooting steps will help you identify and fix your connectivity problems. The place to start is your local computer’s configuration.

Test local configuration

The first step in testing Internet connectivity is to check your computer’s network configuration. How you do that depends on whether your computer is hardwired to the Internet or you connect through a dial-up connection. For a hardwired connection, right-click the connection in the Network and Dial-Up Connections folder, double-click the TCP/IP protocol, and check for the following:

• Correct IP address and subnet mask. If your computer uses DHCP, open a console prompt and issue the command ipconfig /all to check address and subnet mask settings.

• Correct default gateway assignment. If your network includes more than one gateway, make sure you add all gateways to the Default gateways section on the IP Settings page of the Advanced TCP/IP Settings property sheet.

When you’re confident your settings are correct, open a command console and ping your own computer with the following command:

               ping localhost

If you don’t get four replies, it’s likely that your network adapter is not configured properly or has failed.

Test local connectivity