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Diagnose And Repair SOHO networks: Page 4 of 17

3. If the problematic PC is wireless, be sure to disable all wireless security, including WEP (wired equivalent privacy) and MAC (media access control) filtering. Also, ensure that the SSID (service set identifier) is configured to broadcast on the wireless router/access point.

4. Regardless of how many computers you are trying to network together, start with just two. A bad network card, driver, cable, virus, or spyware on just one PC can jeopardize the integrity of an entire network. So turn off all but two PCs. Once you get these two working properly, then turn on one more and get it working. Then turn on the next, and so on, until you have all the PCs up and functioning properly on the network. The key is to start with just two PCs, then add the remainder one by one.

Are You Playing with a Full (Network) Deck?

Virtually all peer-to-peer home networking issues can be broken down into just three categories: