Troubleshooting Campus Internet Connections
From ITS Wiki - Information Technology Services - University of Rhode Island
| Networking This page is part of a category. To see more pages like this, go to the Networking index. |
This basic guide is designed to help users access the internet in their dorms, offices, and other buildings on campus.
Contents |
Windows
Windows XP
Ethernet Connectivity
Unless otherwise specified (i.e. ITS gave you a "Static IP Address"), users must have DHCP enabled on their computers to access the internet.
1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Click on "Run..." and type in ncpa.cpl.
3. Right click on the "Local Area Connection" icon and select "Properties".
4. In the General tab, find, "This connection uses the following items:" and select the item named "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)".
5. Click on the properties button. "Obtain an IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS Server address automatically" should be selected.
Wireless Connectivity
1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Click on "Run..." and type in ncpa.cpl.
3. Right click on the "Wireless Connection" icon. If the top item says, "Enable", select "Enable". If it says "Disable", move on to the next step.
4. Right-click your Wireless Connection icon, and select "View Available Wireless Networks" from the menu. While on the Kingston campus, you should be connected to "Student" or "Academic". While in the Providence campus, you should be connected to "cce-academic".
Internet Explorer 7
If you are having trouble reaching the wireless login page using Internet Explorer 7 (due to Protected Mode), follow these steps,
1. Go into the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
2. Select the Security tab at the top. Select "Local Intranet" and then un-check the "Enable Protected Mode" box at the bottom.
3. Restart Internet Explorer, and you should see a security certificate warning. Continue, and you should reach the wireless login screen.
Renew IP Addresses
- Launch the Start menu.
- Go to Run and type "cmd" into the window.
- A new window will open. Type "ipconfig -all" into the window and hit the return key. Look for your "IP Address" under wired or wireless.
- To release your IP, type, "ipconfig -release" and hit the return key. Wait until your IP address returns as "0.0.0.0".
- Type "ipconfig -renew". You should obtain a valid IP address (see the chart at the bottom of the page).
Windows Vista
Ethernet Connectivity
Unless otherwise specified (i.e. ITS gave you a "Static IP Address"), users must have DHCP enabled on their computers to access the internet.
1. Click on the Windows menu icon.
2. Type ncpa.cpl in the search bar and select ncpa.cpl in the results.
3. Right click on the "Local Area Connection" icon and select Properties.
4. In the General tab, find, "This connection uses the following items:" and select the item named "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)".
5. Click on the properties button. "Obtain an IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS Server address automatically" should be selected.
Wireless Connectivity
1. Click on the Windows menu icon.
2. Type ncpa.cpl in the search bar and select ncpa.cpl in the results.
3. Right click on the "Wireless Connection" icon. If the top item says, "Enable", select "Enable". If it says "Disable", move on to the next step.
4. Right-click your Wireless Connection icon, and select "View Available Wireless Networks" from the menu. While on the Kingston campus, you should be connected to "Student" or "Academic". While in the Providence campus, you should be connected to "cce-academic".
View Information
1. Click on the Windows menu icon.
2. Type ncpa.cpl in the search bar and select ncpa.cpl in the results.
3. Double-click on the desired icon and then click the "Details" button.
Internet Explorer 7
If you are having trouble reaching the wireless login page using Internet Explorer 7 (due to Protected Mode), follow these steps,
1. Go into the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
2. Select the Security tab at the top. Select "Local Intranet" and then un-check the "Enable Protected Mode" box at the bottom.
3. Restart Internet Explorer, and you should see a security certificate warning. Continue, and you should reach the wireless login screen.
Renew IP Addresses
- Right-click on the network icon in your taskbar (located on the bottom right of the screen), and select, "Diagnose and repair".
- You should obtain a valid IP address (see the chart at the bottom of the page).
Macintosh
OS X 10.3 (Panther) +
Ethernet Connectivity
1. In the menu at the top of the screen, click the wireless icon and then select "Turn Airport Off".
2. Go to Apple > System Preferences and select the Network icon (third row down).
3. Under "Location" select "Automatic" and under "Show" select "Built-In Ethernet".
4. On the TCP/IP tab, "Configure IPv4" should be set to "Using DHCP".
Wireless Connectivity
1. In the menu at the top of the screen, click the wireless icon and then select "Turn Airport On".
2. Go to Apple > System Preferences and select the Network icon (third row down).
3. Under "Location" select "Automatic" and under "Show" select "Airport".
4. On the TCP/IP tab, "Configure IPv4" should be set to "Using DHCP".
5. In the menu at the top of the screen, click the wireless icon.
6. You will now see a list of available networks to join.
While on the Kingston campus, you should be connected to "Student" or "Academic". While in the Providence campus, you should be connected to "cce-academic". Sometimes the "Renew DHCP Lease" button will not work. In those cases, be sure "Configure IPv4" is set to "Manual", set the IP address to 1.1.1.1, and click Apply. Restart the machine, then follow steps 1 through 5 again.
OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Ethernet Connectivity
1. In the menu at the top of the screen, click the wireless icon and then select "Turn Airport Off".
2. Go to Apple > System Preferences and select the Network icon (third row down).
3. Select the Ethernet tab at the left. Next to Configure, select "DHCP".
4. Click Advanced, and ensure AppleTalk and 802.1X are disabled.
5. Proxy settings should include, "*.local, 169.254/16".
6. Click the Apply button.
Wireless Connectivity
1. In the menu at the top of the screen, click the wireless icon and then select "Turn Airport On".
2. Go to Apple > System Preferences and select the Network icon (third row down).
3. Select the AirPort tab, and select a network to join. Click Advanced.
4. Ensure that AppleTalk, 802.1X, and Proxies are disabled.
5. Proxy settings should include, "*.local, 169.254/16".
6. Click the Apply button.
IP Address Meanings
| IP Address | Explanation | Suggested Action |
| This indicates a proper wired connection. | No action is required. | |
| This indicates a proper wireless connection. | No action is required. | |
| This address is common among private wireless and wired routers. If computers have this IP on a wired or wireless connection, a rogue router may be present. | Release and renew the IP address of the machine and notify the Help Desk immediately for instructions on reporting a rogue router. | |
| This indicates the computer is not physically or properly connected to the internet or that the machine is infected with malware. | Check physical (ethernet) connections and hardware. Verify that the latest anti-virus definitions are installed and perform a full anti-virus scan. | |
| These IP addresses are private (only for the local network and not internet wide) and used for devices such as printers and servers. They should not be used to browse the internet. | If not specially needed for the device, switch to DHCP (see instructions above) and release and renew the IP address of the machine (see instructions above). |
Command-Line Tools
Windows 95/98 - WINIPCFG (run)
Windows 2000/XP - IPCONFIG /ALL (cmd)
Windows Vista - NCPA.CPL (run)
Linux - ifconfig eth0 (cmd)
Mac - ifconfig en0 (cmd)
Related Links:
List of all Special IP Ranges
