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| How can I connect to the internet using manual settings? |
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- You need to know four things to set up a computer to access the Internet manually:
- IP address – every computer on your network has a unique address which is used to send data to and from it. This is written in the form of: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
- Subnet Mask – this is used to mask out some of the numbers within the IP address. Commonly this is: 255.255.255.0
- Router Address – this is the address of the router or internet gateway. The address follows the same pattern as your IP address, with the final numbers different (it is usually the first address in the number range). This is written in the form of: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
- DNS address – DNS stands for domain name server – it is used to convert a web site names to an IP addresses. This is written in the form of: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
- To find out these different addresses, there are a number of options. Go through the following points until the problem is resolved:
- Set your PC to find the settings automatically (DHCP). See our section on How can I connect to the internet using automatic settings?
- Using a PC that you know works, find out what its settings are:
- Go to ‘Start’
- Select ‘run’
- Type ‘cmd’
- On the black screen, after the ‘>’ where you are prompted, type in ‘IPCONFIG/ALL’ and press ‘enter’
- The computer will then show you a list of the different addresses you need
Once you know these settings, you can use them to create an IP address for your own computer. Take the IP address, and change the last three digits xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx – change the number to the next one in the sequence (so for example, 192.168.1.6 becomes 192.168.1.7). If another computer on the network already has this IP address, your computer will tell you that there is a conflict, and you can try another number (the next number in the sequence), until you find a free IP address.
Copy the subnet mask, router address, and DNS address – these will not change
- If you cannot use any of these methods to find out the different addresses, then you can try to guess the settings.
Most internal networks work using the following addresses:
- The IP address will start with the following numbers: 192.168.xxx.xxx.
For the remaining numbers, you will need to make an intelligent guess. The third section of numbers xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx relates to the server, and is usually 1 or 2 (192.168.1.xxx). This number can be anything between 1 to 255.
The fourth section of numbers xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx relates to your computer – every computer on the network will have a different number. Put in a number here to see if it is free for you to use. If another computer on the network already has this IP address, your computer will tell you that there is a conflict, and you can try another number (the next number in the sequence), until you find a free IP address. This number can be anything between 1 to 255.
- The Subnet Mask is usually 255.255.255.0
- The Router Address needs to have the same numbers in the first three sections as the IP address. Its fourth section of numbers is usually the first or last in the possible numbers – so either 1 or 255. For example, 192.168.0.1 / 192.168.0.255
- For the DNS address, you will need to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
This diagram shows boxes around which numbers need to be the same:
IP address: 192.168.xxx.xxx
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Router Address: 192.168.xxx.xxx
DNS address: You will need to contact your ISP for this information
- If you have a network administrator, ask them for help, or you could ring your Internet Services Provider (ISP). Any good ISP will provide support for helping you to get online, with ISPs such as Easynet Connect offering 24 hour telephone support.
- Once you have the settings, enter these details manually into your internet settings:
- Go to ‘Start’
- Select ‘Control Panel’
- Select ‘Network Connections’
- Right click on the option you want to check and choose ‘properties’
- Highlight ‘Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)’ and click on ‘Properties’
- Select the two options that say ‘Use the following IP address’ and ‘Use the following DNS Server addresses’
- Enter in the details
Your computer should now connect to the internet (please note, you might need to re-start your computer first).
- If you are still having problems, see our section on My internet isn’t working
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