Wireless Network Connections

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Basic troubleshooting steps

• Restart your computer. Most of the time restarting the computer will fix the problem.


• Make sure the wireless network adapter switch is on.

The wireless switch on the Lenovo W510 laptops is located on the left side of the laptop to the left of the 3 small stickers.	The wireless switch on the Fujitsu is on the front to the right of the lid latch. Wireless is enabled when the switch is in the right position. In the left position, wireless is disabled.

• Determine if it’s a connectivity or application specific problem.
  • If you are on campus, try using another browser or accessing other network resources, such as printers or shared drives.
  • If you can connect to other Internet sites or network resources, the problem may be with the site you are trying to access.


• See if you can connect from a different area of campus or from off campus.
  • The problem may be specific to your location.


• If you are connected but having problems or if you’re getting a “limited or no connectivity” message, try repairing your connection.
  • Click on Start and then Control Panel.
  • Click on Internet and Network Connections.
  • In the Internet and Network Connections window, click on the Network Connections icon toward the bottom of the window.
  • Right click on your wireless Internet icon and click Repair.


• If you prefer to repair this manually, open a Command window.
  • Click Start /Run… In the Run… window, type cmd and click OK.
  • From the Command window, see if you have an IP address by entering the command: ipconfig/all
  • Then remove any IP address you may have by entering this command: ipconfig/release
  • When this command completes, try and acquire a new IP address. Enter: ipconfig/renew


• Make sure that your Internet connection can obtain an IP address dynamically.
  • Open the Control Panel and then Network Connections.
  • Right click on the wireless network icon and click on Properties.
  • In menu box that says “This connection uses the following items,” scroll to the last item and select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
  • With this selected, click the Properties button.
  • Make sure that the radio button which reads “Obtain an IP address automatically” is selected.
  • Make sure that the radio button which reads “Obtain DNS server address automatically” is selected.
  • Then click OK and exit.


• Lastly, you may need to update your wireless network driver.
  • If you have had your laptop for several years, the driver may be outdated. The Computer Help Desk can update the network drivers for laptops that we distribute to students and faculty.
  • If you have a personally owned laptop, please download the network driver from the manufacturer’s website and follow their instructions for installation.