Network Computing is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Diagnose And Repair SOHO networks: Page 7 of 17

If your customer is running Windows XP (Home or Professional), make sure they have no network bridges installed. If they do have bridges, delete them. In many cases, bridges are unneeded. In any event, setting up a bridge when a network isn't functioning properly is a lot like putting the proverbial cart before the horse. It won't help.

If any of the involved computers are running Windows Millennium (ME), be sure to download and install this patch from Microsoft. (Whether you think you need it or not, it won't hurt anything). If you wish to learn more about this WinME specific patch, it's all explained in detail here.

Getting Acquainted with the LAN

Windows includes a utility called IPCONFIG which offers a great amount of detail concerning a PC's network settings. It's the perfect place to start.

1. In Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type CMD and hit Enter.