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If you find that you cannot connect to the Internet using your broadband connection then you will need to work out where the problem is.
Start at the gateway machine, which should have your connection device connected to it. You should have already registered it and gone through some tests if this was required, but verify the connection anyway. If you haven't registered the device with your service provider, then you will need to go through this process first.

These pointers resume that you have already verified that the physical connections are OK and that all equipment is turned on. If you haven't already checked these then do so now. Don't presume they are OK. Some one may have moved something that has broken a connection or made something come loose.

Try using a web browser and an email client to connect then:

• If nothing works, try from the gateway
• If it doesn't work from there - Check the Gateway Machine Connection
• If it works on the Gateway - Check the Client Machine Connection
• If both the gateway and client can see the Internet, then check both your web browser and email client configuration.
• If one or the other of email and web browser works, then just check that one.
  

Check the Gateway Machine's Connection

1. Check whether TCP/IP is installed.
   To do this, start a DOS or Command Prompt and type "ping localhost" (minus the quotes). You should get back four replies. If you get an error like "Host not Found" or any other type of error, then TCP/IP is not installed correctly and should be removed and reinstalled.
2. If localhost works, then still in a DOS or Command Prompt type "ping <dns server>" replacing <dns server> with the IP address of your ISP's DNS (name) server. You should get four replies back. This will test whether you have a successful internet connection. If that fails, check that you have the correct gateway address set. It should be the same address as the machines IP address.
3. If that works, then try pinging a name such as the BBC - "ping www.bbc.co.uk". This will test name resolution. If this doesn't work (you get unknown host or similar error) check the TCP/IP settings and ensure you have entered the correct addresses for DNS servers.

Check Client Machine's Connection

If you can connect to the Internet on a gateway machine but not on one of the other machines, then you need to test the connections. Many of these tests are the same.

1. Check whether TCP/IP is installed, as per 1 above.
2. Check whether you can connect to the gateway machine.
   Still in the DOS or Command Prompt, type "ping <gateway address>" replacing <gateway address> with the actual IP address of your gateway machine. If your gateway machine is 192.168.11.254, then type "ping 192.168.11.254". You should get back four replies. Anything else and the problem is the machine cannot see the gateway.
3. If you can ping the gateway try pinging a machine outside of your network, as per 2 above for the gateway machine - checking DNS servers. 
4. Finally try pinging a name, as per 3 abovefor the gateway machine.

Check Web Browser Configuration

A common problem with web browsers is when the software is looking for a proxy server. This is found if you have tried to use a so called Accelerator software or other tools to speed up the connection.

• In Internet Explorer, Tools, Options, Connections, LAN settings. All three check boxes should be cleared.
  If you are using a machine that is usually connected to corporate network - such as a laptop - record the settings as you will need to put them back so that your machine works in the office.
  

Check Email Client Configuration

Ensure that you are using the correct server addresses for incoming and outgoing email. Sometimes they can be the same but usually they are different.

• Some ISPs will not allow you to collect email from their servers unless you are connected to their network. If you are using two different companies for email and broadband, check with the email company for the best way to collect email from anothernetwork.
• Outbound email doesn't have to be use the same server or company as inbound. Use the email server provided by your broadband ISP for outbound email.
• Check with your ISP that the email service is working. You can also use the same tests to check the email server as you did with DNS servers. When following the test, replace www.bbc.co.uk with the address of your inbound email server to verify the address is correct and the server is responding. Name Lookup Test.

Hosts File

If you are trying to resolve an external name to a local machine - for example your web site, and you don't have your own internal DNS server, then you should create a "hosts" file for each machine.
A hosts file is like a local DNS server. It can have different information on what to resolve names to than is on the public Internet.
If you on a corporate network you should check with your network admin to ensure that hosts files are not already in use.

To create a hosts file, follow these easy instructions:

1. Search your system for either "hosts" or "hosts.sam" (which is a sample file). You DO NOT want lmhosts or lmhosts.sam.
2. If you don't have a hosts file, then you should rename the "hosts.sam" file removing the ".sam" suffix. A "hosts" file doesn't have an extension.
3. Open the "hosts" file in notepad. The easiest way to do this is to hold down the shift key and then right click on it. You will then get an option "Open With..." where you can choose "Notepad".
4. Once the file is open, you will see the format that you need to make entries. Enter the IP address first, then a tab, then the name. Once complete, save the file. Leave it open while you test it.
5. To test your file, open a command prompt and enter "ping <name entered>" minus the quotes, where <name entered> is the name you just put in to the hosts file. You should find that it resolves to the local IP address instead.
6. You can make additional entries, you can even have multiple names for the same IP addresses.

Here is an example hosts file with some entries already made:

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost
192.168.0.1 www.mywebhost.com
192.168.0.1 ftp.mywebhost.com
192.168.0.2 printer

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