For Use in the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, USF St. Petersburg

If you have used the “Quick Start… Using the Wireless Network” guide, and are registered for classes for the current semester but are continuing to experience problems accessing the network, the following are some helpful tips.

Wireless Symbol

Step 1:  Physical Device Connectivity

 

First, determine if you have a wireless PC slot card, or if your wireless card is

built-in to your laptop. 

PC slot card

This card should have two lights, one for power, and one for connectivity.  The power light should be solid, and the connectivity light should blink intermittently.  If one or both are off, then you may be too far from a wireless access point, or there could be a physical problem with the card. 

Built-in wireless card

Laptops with internal cards should have a light on the side or front of the machine, with a symbol similar to the graphic above.  Some laptops have a button to turn the Wireless on or off, others have a function key combination.

 

Step 2:  General Setup Troubleshooting

Check the following setting of your card, to determine if it is compatible:

1. Check your card’s documentation to be sure that it is IEEE 802.11b (11Mbs) compliant.
2. The SSID (for Cisco cards), or Network Name (for Lucent cards) is blank. This information can be found in your card’s Utility program (for Cisco Cards & others); or in XP can be found through the Network Connections Applet in the Control Panel by selecting the wireless card, then clicking Properties, then Configure.
3. In this same configuration area, Client Name is your name, with no spaces, or any unique value. If you have a common name try using your full name to make sure someone else is not using it.
4. WEP encryption is not enabled.
5. Make sure you are near an access point. See our wireless map at the address below for details.

http://www.nelson.usf.edu/systems/maps.html

 

Step 3:  Wireless Card Physical Address Registration

Check your wireless card’s physical address (or MAC Address) in one of two ways, depending on your version of Windows:

 

 

Step 3C  If your IP address starts with 10.X.X.X, then you should be able to use your laptop to browse to the registration page, continue to step 4. 

Step 4 If your IP address starts with 192.168.X.X, or anything other than 10, then it is likely that you have a static IP Address assigned. To confirm this, take note of the heading DHCP Enabled. If the word "No" appears, then you will need to change the network adapter TCP/IP Settings as oulined below.

DHCP is Not Enabled in the example above.

 Step 4B

Access your My Computer and click on Control Panel. Once you open Control Panel double-click the icon that says Network Connections. The icon will show an electrical chord plugged into the earth.

A window will open and an icon called Local Area Connection will appear. When you right-click on this icon a drop-down list will appear. At the bottom of the list you will see a heading called Properties, click on this heading.

The window that opens is called Local Area Connection Properties. In the middle of the window there is a heading called Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), click on this heading.

Another window will open called the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties. Notice that your computer already has data set-up for you. This preset data is static address information. Typically, this is the information that allows you to access the Internet at home. To access the Internet at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library you will have to activate the automatic options, so that the Access Point can supply you with a proper temporary IP address.

Note: Before you activate the automatic options please record the data already set on a piece of paper so you can reset the information when you access the Internet at home. Remember that once you activate the automatic options the information will delete itself.

 

After you’ve written down your TCP/IP data, click the radial button next to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and also click the radial button next to “Obtain DNS server address automatically.” The window should look like the one below:

Click “OK” at the bottom of the screen. To make sure the DHCP has been enabled go back to Start, Run and then type command and press enter. At the command prompt type ipconfig /all to view the settings. If the Dchp has been enabled please continue to the USF Laptop registration page. If the Dchp has not been enabled please contact library systems support.

 

Step 5:  Register Online

To register the laptop’s physical address, navigate with your laptop browser, or from within the library use a WebXpress terminal to navigate to this page:

 

http://www.net.usf.edu/laptops

 

Once the laptop has been registered, you should be able to reboot the laptop after 2 minutes, and gain a new address in the IP address section (found in step 3 above).

• 10.X.X.X means you need to (re)register your wireless card at  the laptop registration page  (www.net.usf.edu/laptops).
• 131.247.X.X means DHCP is working, and you should be able to access the Internet.
• Any other value means there is an error in your installation or setup.

 

Step 6 – Connectivity Troubleshooting

If your IP address is 131.247.X.X, and you still cannot access the Internet, try the following routine:

• Go to Start, Run, and then type command for Win95/98, or cmd for 2000/XP and press enter.
• At the command prompt, type ping 131.247.100.1 and press enter. Observe the results.
• Next, type mother.usf.edu  and press enter. Observe the results.

If you see the words “timed out” rather than a “Reply” as above, your card is not connecting.  Reasons other than not being registered or having a non-working card are:

Firewall Settings:  XP service Pack 2 and above laptops have a service called Windows Firewall.  This service can block network traffic in an attempt to secure your computer from hackers & viruses.  Click on the Security Center icon on the bottom right of your taskbar to change the settings.

Anti-Virus Software:  Both Mcafee and Norton Antivirus software packages incorporate firewall components, which can hamper connectivity.  Check these settings and configure them to allow inbound and outbound connections.

Static Address Assignment:  If your wireless computer was used on a secured network at home or the office, the default settings could have changed from a DHCP (dynamic) IP Address to a Static one.  Look at the results from 3A or 3B above, and note the setting “DHCP Enabled”.  It should be set to “yes”.  If not, then use the Control Panel’s Network Connection Properties, and set the TCP/IP Settings to “Obtain an IP Address Automatically”.  Reopen the command window (step 3), and type the command ipconfig /release followed by the command ipconfig /renew.

Step 7 :  Reinstall Driver Software

 Go to your card manufacturer's website and download the newest drivers and client software for your card. Uninstall the old drivers and software, and then install the new versions. In some cases it is very important that the drivers and client software are the same versions.

• Lucent : http://www.alcatel-lucent.com
• Cisco :  http://www.cisco.com/en/US/support/index.html
• D-Link : http://support.dlink.com/downloads
• Linksys : http://www.linksys.com/download

For additional help or to schedule a setup session with the library systems administrator, contact systems@nelson.usf.edu, or call the Systems Department at 873-4402.