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Troubleshooting Your ResNet Network Connection

If you followed the instructions on the Internet Access page and are still unable to connect, this page will provide you with some basic troubleshooting tips.

Basic Troubleshooting

  • Try restarting your computer. Many problems are fixed by simply rebooting.
  • Make sure that you have the data cable plugged in securely to both the computer's network port and the data jack in your room/apartment. Make sure you are plugged into the red, orange or blue data jack and not the beige phone jack.
  • Check for flashing green and yellow lights near the network port on your computer. A green light on, yellow/orange light flashing usually means the connection is working. If this is not the case, either the network card is misconfigured, the data jack is not working or your data cable is bad.
  • Try plugging the data cable into another data jack . It is unlikely that all the data jacks in the room/apartment are not functioning, unless there is a network outage. To check for network issues, visit the the ResNet home page, or the campus outage page.
  • Try using a different data cable. If you need a data cable they are available for purchase at any Housing Dining Services convenience store or at the University Apartments Community Center.

If you are still having problems, please proceed to the Troubleshooting Windows or the Troubleshooting Macintosh sections.

 

Troubleshooting Windows

  • Release/Renew IP Address

    • For Windows 7/Vista, go to Start and then type cmd in the Search programs and files box. For Windows XP, go to Start and then type cmd in the Run box

    • A black command prompt window with a flashing cursor will appear. At the cursor, type in: ipconfig /release

    • Now type in: ipconfig /renew

    • Under Windows IP Configuration look for the Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection. For the IPv4 Address you should see an IP Address of 146.151.X.X (or 172.16.X.X if you have not completed registration), where X is a number from 0 to 255. If you see this, you should be connected. Try opening up a web page now. If that works, you're done!

    • If the IP address is different than those described above, follow the steps below to make sure your network adapter is configured to use DHCP

Windows 7

Verify that your network adapter is configured to use DHCP

  1. Go to Start and click on Control Panel
  2. Click Network and Sharing Center
  3. Click Change adapter settings on the left navigation bar
  4. Right-click on Local Area Connection (for your network card) and select Properties
  5. In the Local Area Connection Properties, Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties
  6. In the General tab, ensure that Obtain an IP address automatically radio button is selected
  7. Click OK twice

Windows Vista

  1. Go to Start, right click on Network and then click Properties
  2. Network and Sharing Center window will appear, then click Manage network connections
  3. Network Connections window will appear. Here you can right click on the network card that you wish to configure and click Properties
  4. In the Local Area Connection Properties, Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties
  5. In the General tab, ensure that Obtain an IP address automatically radio button is selected
  6. Click OK twice

Windows XP

      Classic View:

  1. Go to Start, click Settings and select Control Panel
  2. Double-click Network Connections
  3. Right-click on the Local Area Connection (for your network card) and select Properties
  4. In the Local Area Connection Properties, Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties
  5. In the General tab, ensure that Obtain an IP address automatically radio button is selected
  6. Click OK twice

      Non-Classic View:

  1. Click the Start button
  2. Right-click on My Network Places and select Properties
  3. Right-click on Local Area Connection (for your network card) and select Properties
  4. In the Local Area Connection Properties, Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties
  5. In the General tab, ensure that Obtain an IP address automatically radio button is selected
  6. Click OK twice

If your network adapter is set to use DHCP but is still not connecting, please proceed to the Opening a Support Case section.

Troubleshooting Mac OS

Getting a new IP address from the DHCP server

  1. Open System Preferences and click Network.

  2. Click Renew DHCP Lease.

Connect/Reconfigure IP Settings

  1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.

  2. From the View menu, choose Network.

  3. Choose Built-in Ethernet from the Show pop-up menu.

  4. Click the TCP/IP tab, if necessary.

  5. Choose “Using DHCP” from the Configure pop-up menu.

  6. Click Apply Now.

  7. Open a Web browser or other TCP/IP application to test your connection to the Internet.

    If your connection still is not working, please proceed to the Opening a Support Case section.

Opening a Support Case

Please call the ResNet Help Line at 608) 262-8703, and choose option #1. Campus help desk staff will create a case for you and try to resolve your issue over the phone. If your problem cannot be resolved, your case will be forwarded to Housing IT where a ResNet Technician will contact you to schedule a house call.

If you need to schedule a house call, please be sure to provide the following information:

For Residence Halls please have the following information ready:

  • Name

  • Room number

  • Residence hall

  • Times that you are available

  • Cell phone or number where you can be reached


For University Apartments (Eagle Heights Apartments & University Houses) please have the following information ready:
(the caller must be 18 years of age or older to call the help desk)

  • Name
  • Apartment Letter
  • Building Number
  • Times that you are available
  • Phone number where you can be reached (cell phone or phone with answering machine)


A Housing IT staff person will visit your room/apartment and work to solve your network connection problem. House calls are free of charge and won't last for more than an hour. You must be present during the entire house call.

Because of staffing limitations, ResNet will only troubleshoot your data jack and the network configuration of your machine. Serious OS issues or problems with software applications are not part of ResNet's house call support. The DoIT Campus Help Desk at 608-264-HELP, is available to provide support for many OS and software issues. DoIt Repair and Desktop Support (RaDS) offers a free virus/malware removal service. They also can perform other computer repairs for a fee.

Supported Operating Systems

Currently ResNet offers support for the following operating systems: Windows XP/Vista/7 and Mac OS 10.3 and higher. Residents are welcome to connect machines running other operating systems, but ResNet can offer no assistance in establishing or troubleshooting their data connections, other than verifying that your data jack is operational.

Residents are not allowed to attach machines to the ResNet network that are running server OS's such as Novell, Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise, etc.