Connection Troubleshooting

You are using a router

Start by rebooting it, and only it, by unplugging and replugging the power that feeds into the back of it.

Rebooting the router will almost always restore connectivity under normal circumstances. Please unplug and replug the power to the router, to allow it to grab and assign all necessary settings again. The red arrows indicate where the power plugs into the router on the two most common devices used on our network.

See our blog on the Top 5 Tech Support Questions we receive for more troubleshooting tips while using a router.

Allow the router a minute to boot up after reconnecting the power. You may notice your computer negotiating an IP address after the router has started booting; you may have to wait for the computer to finish obtaining an IP address. Try the internet again when this is completed.

If you are using a wireless connection from your computer to your router, then you may need to disconnect and reconnect using the wireless network controls on your computer. For further support please try one of these guides for Asus, D-Link, Linksys, or Netgear, or contact your router manufacturer:

ASUS Canada Support

D-Link Canada Support: 1-800-361-5265

Netgear Support: 1-888-NETGEAR (1-888-638-4327) (only available for products still under warranty)

Linksys Support: 1-800-326-7114

Try it without the router

If all else fails, try by-passing the router by plugging the flat black cable for the internet directly into your computer, where you should get the registration page from us to initiate an IP for the device that you currently have connected.

The installation of MCSnet includes a radio on the roof with a CAT5e cable that runs inside the house where it will plug into the power adapter.

There are two types of power adapters, please use the diagrams to identify the one in use

Power adapter type 1 (scroll down for type 2)

Power adapter type 2

Your computer is directly connected to the internet

When everything is working properly, restarting the computer should resolve most connectivity problems. These guides contain the commands to manually reset your computers connection if the reset does not help, or if you just want a faster way of refreshing the connection on your computer.

Release and Renew the IP address of your computer.

Windows 7/8/10 Guide:

Windows 7/8/10 will fix most problems for you automatically when possible.

• The “Troubleshoot Problems” utility can be used to diagnose issues that are not automatically resolved. Right click on the networking icon in the bottom right hand corner by the clock:
  
• Select: Troubleshoot Problems, and allow the utility to diagnose the issue.
  
• The networking icon may have additional graphics to indicate issues, like these ones:
  

Windows Vista Guide

• Vista has a network icon that runs in the bottom right hand corner by the clock that looks like 2 computers with a small globe in front. If you right click on this icon you can select the “Diagnose and Repair” option.
  
• Vista will look for problems, and if it gives you options to Automatically get new IP settings – click it.
  
• or Reset the network adapter – click it.
  

If Vista reports no problems with the connection, and resetting the connection does not help, then you may want to reference this section of the XP guide for other configuration settings for help.

Windows XP

The repair option in XP does not work most of the time, so the process detailed below is how to manually release and renew the IP address on your computer. This process should happen automatically when you restart your computer, but these steps may uncover an error that is stopping this process from completing.

• Click the Start button, and then click Run…
  
• type cmd in the prompt and click OK
  
• a command prompt will open, and you can start typing right away, it will be after the >
  
• first, type: ipconfig /release
  
• and hit enter, where the connection will report an IP address of 0.0.0.0 confirming the release
  
• If you did not get the 0.0.0.0, please scroll down for help with this.
• type:
  ipconfig /renew and hit enter, there is normally a short delay, and you should get an IP address similar to 192.168.10.2, 192.168.10.3, etc. (this is the address that the radio on your roof assigns to your computer).
  This example has a different address:
  

if this completed successfully, you should be able to surf the web once again. Try opening google.ca to check it. If you get the proper IP, but are stuck on the registration page from MCSnet asking for your username and password, then your radio may have jumped towers, please try rebooting the power to the radio and call technical support if this issue persists.

Some common errors

• After typing the ipconfig /release command the 0.0.0.0 does not come up rather:
  • It says something about the adapter not being in the state permissible for this command.
  • It says just Windows IP Configuration and nothing else.
  • It says command not available while media is disconnected.
• After typing the ipconfig /renew command the IP doesn’t match 192.168.10.2 (or similar) or fails to come up:
• The IP addresses came up as expected, but web pages will still not come up:

After typing the ipconfig /renew command the 0.0.0.0 does not come up rather

After typing the ipconfig /renew command the IP doesn’t match 192.168.10.2 (or similar) fails to come up

If the IP address doesn’t start with 169 or 192, but something that starts like 74, or 66 then you are getting a non-translated address, and the internet should be accessible with this. You might want to try surfing to a webpage like google.ca to test for a connection. Check part iii) to check for other issues.

If the IP address comes up as anything similar to 192.168.0.x/192.168.1.x then you have a router, and will want to reference the router part of this guide.

If the IP did not come up, and you get a message about an error contacting DHCP server, you may want to contact us; this error may be the result of a faulty computer.

The IP addresses came up as expected, but web pages will still not come up

Norton firewall may cause a healthy connection to randomly stop working by blocking everything you do from going out to the internet. MCSnet strongly discourages the use of Norton. If you have Norton, you may have to uninstall it to restore connectivity. See our recommendations page for alternatives.

Check your browser for a proxy server, for Internet Explorer:

• Open Internet Explorer
• Open the tools menu
• Open Internet Options
• Click the Connections tab at the top
• Click the Lan Settings button near the bottom
• Make Sure that none of the boxes are checked in here

If your computer is directly connected to the internet, the firewall table may be flooded due to unrequited requests (most common with peer to peer programs). If this is the case, when you unplug the Motorola power adapter and reconnect it, service should resume. After reconnecting power, you will have to wait about 2 minutes for the radio to reboot and your computer to negotiate a new address. If this is a constant problem for you, please contact us so that we can change the nature of how these unrequited requests are handled, we may suggest that you get a router.

Windows 98/Me Release and Renew IP Guide

• Click Start
• Click Run
• Type: winipcfg and hit the Enter key
• The “windows IP configuration utility” will appear, where you will have to select your network adapter:
• there is a pull down section at the top that will normally have PPPoe selected, change it to your network adapter
• Click the release button
• Click the renew button. You should get an IP address like 192.168.10.2
• If you get a different result, try the connection to see if it works, otherwise, you may find some help from this section of the XP guide.
• If you get the proper IP address, but webpages will still not connect, then check this section of the XP guide.

Windows 2000

Windows 2000 is essentially the same as Windows XP for these commands. Please follow the XP Guide with the exception of typing command instead of cmd, and when you release the address it will not show zeroes, but rather give you a message about a successful release.

Mac OS X

• Click the Apple menu.
• Choose System Preferences…
• Click the Network icon.
• Choose Active Network Ports from the Show menu.
• Deselect the “on” checkbox for port you use to connect to the Internet (such as Built-in Ethernet or AirPort).
• Click Apply Now.
• Reselect the checkbox for the port.
• Click Apply Now.
• Open a Web browser, and attempt to connect.