Troubleshoot your network

Posted on 4 Dec 2007 at 16:41

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If your router says it's connected to the internet but you can't access websites, there could be a Domain Name Service (DNS) server problem. DNS converts web addresses, such as www.computershopper.co.uk, into IP addresses, such as 194.70.234.209.

To test this in XP and Vista, type nslookup (for example, nslookup www.computershopper.co.uk) at the command prompt. Under the Non-authoritative answer you should get the IP address, or addresses, of the website to which you're trying to connect. If there's a DNS problem, you'll get an error message. Try rebooting your router and, if the problem persists, contact your ISP.

Finally, try typing 'ping websitename' at the command prompt. If you get a reply, then your network is working. Note that some websites, such as www.microsoft.com, are set up to ignore ping requests. To test a network, therefore, we'd first try pinging www.google.co.uk. If you get a reply here then there's probably an intermittent network fault with your ISP, or the website you're trying to connect to is suffering problems.

If you're still unable to connect to the internet, you'll need to get in touch with your ISP or check its status page on the internet to see if there are any known issues.

Author: Louise Simmons

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