Troubleshooting

Can't Access a Shared Modem Connection from the LAN

When I attempt to view an Internet page from a LAN computer, my Web browser doesn't get past "Looking up host www.somewhere.com."

A delay of 30 seconds or so is normal while the dial-up connection is established when you first start using the Internet.

If the connection doesn't progress after 30 seconds, be sure of the following: The sharing computer was turned on when you booted up your computer, the sharing computer is logged in, and your computer is set to obtain its IP address automatically.

Try to make the connection from the sharing computer to be sure the modem is connecting properly. If it's not, see the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of Chapter 8 to diagnose the dial-up connection problem.

Can't Access a Shared DSL or Cable Connection from the LAN

When I attempt to view an Internet page from a LAN computer, my Web browser doesn't get past "Looking up host www.somewhere.com."

Be sure that the sharing computer was turned on when you booted up your computer, that the connection to the DSL or cable modem is the one marked as "shared," and that your computer is set to obtain its IP address automatically.

Try to view Web pages from the sharing computer to be sure the high-speed connection is functioning. If it's not, see the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of Chapter 14, "Troubleshooting Your Internet Connection," to diagnose the Internet connectivity problem.

If you are using a connection-sharing router, view the router's built-in "Status" Web page (usually by viewing http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1 with Internet Explorer). See if the router has been able to connect to your ISP. You may have entered an incorrect password, or for cable systems, you may need to "clone" the MAC address of the computer that originally used to set up the Internet connection.

Shared Connection Doesn't Happen

When I attempt to view a Web page on a network with a shared connection, no Internet connection is established.

If you are using a modem to establish the shared connection, listen to the modem to see whether it's trying to establish the connection. If it is, you might just need to wait a bit and try to view the page again. Sometimes, Internet Explorer gives an error message before the modem has had enough time to make the connection.

If the modem is making a connection but Web browsing still fails, the dial-up connection on the shared computer might not be set up with a saved password. On that computer, open My Network Places, select View Network Connections, and attempt to make the connection manually. Be sure that you've checked Save This User Name and Password and selected Anyone Who Uses This Computer.

If the modem isn't attempting to make the connection at all, run the Network Setup Wizard again on the sharing computer.