Windows DHCP Setup Instructions

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It is recommended that you set-up a mail client to access your mail instead of webmail. You can find instructions to set-up a mail client at http://newweb.avalon.net/email_setup.html

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Avalon Networks Inc. Windows DHCP Setup Instructions

These instructions detail how to configure a Windows computer for use on an ethernet network. Your computer will need an IP address as well as some additional network information to use the ethernet access. Fortunately, this is all automatically assigned by our equipment in the building using DHCP.

Under a default configuration obtaining an address by DHCP can be done by simply rebooting your machine once the ethernet cable is attached. This should work on Macs as well, though newer Macs may not need a reboot.

To see if things are already configured properly and get online:

Plug an ethernet cable into your PC's ethernet port.
Open a web browser to check for an internet connection.

If you get "This page cannot be displayed" or some other failure to connect, you've got some work to do.

WINIPCFG.EXE

If you have no connection, you need to obtain an IP address. You have two options: either reboot the PC, or manually renew your address.

To do this, click Start then Run and type "winipcfg" and click OK. On newer versions of Windows, the command should be "ipconfig". You should see a screen similar to the one shown on your right.

If PPP adapter is selected, select your ethernet adapter from the list. If your ethernet adapter is not shown, see the troubleshooting section.

After selecting your ethernet adapter, click on "Release" then "Renew." An IP address should appear. Click "OK." Open your web browser and check for connectivity. If you still aren't connected, or if an IP address didn't appear, see the troubleshooting section.

Troubleshooting

Most problems stem from cable problems or misconfigured ethernet adapters.

First, make sure that your computer's ethernet port is connected to an ethernet jack with an ethernet cable. Ethernet cables are different than phone cables. An ethernet cable will be thicker, and you should be able to count 8 separate wires inside when you look at the end.

Secondly, check to see if your ethernet card is properly installed and configured. To do this:

Double click on My Computer, double click on Control Panel, and then double click on Network.
Your ethernet adapter should be listed by the manufacturer's name. If it is not listed, follow the manufacturer's installation instructions, or contact your PC manufacturer.
TCP/IP must also be installed and listed. If it is not, add it by clicking Add, select Protocol, and click Add.
Click on Microsoft in the left column, click on TCP/IP in the right column. Click OK to return to the Network Control Panel.
Click OK on the Network Control Panel. Windows will ask you to restart your computer. After restarting, your computer should be able to connect to the Internet automatically. If you are unable to connect, contact Technical Support.

I'm connected...what happens next?

The internet is more of a concept, than it is a thing. There are a variety of sevices one can use with the internet so it's important to note that they are separate. Most popular of all internet services would be the web (WWW) and email.

Exploring the World Wide Web: Windows usually comes with some version of Internet Explorer as a browser. There's likely to be an icon on your destop with that title. If not, this will either be located in your Start Menu --> Programs or in the Start Menu --> Programs --> Accessories --> Internet Tools. Once connected to Avalon, you can use this version of IE as your regular browser or use it to download a newer version or an alternate browser, like Netscape. You can get some web browsers on our webpage (www.avalon.net) under the Software section.

When you launch the browser you should see the ``Start Page'' (or Home Page). You can set this to whatever you want by going in the IE preferences (or settings), or Netscape general preferences (under the options menu) and find the spot for home page.

If you know the address of a website you want to look at, just type in the web address in the Location (or Address) field on your browser and hit return. If you want to search for anything, the browser has a ``search'' option on it that when chosen takes you to a few standard search engines. Visit our the Links section on our webpage for some more search engine sites and other areas of interest.

If you want to do email, you need to configure your email software for your Avalon account. Check out our webpage (www.avalon.net) and go to the Support section. Here you will find instructions for setting up email for the several different email programs we support. We hope you enjoy the internet!