Are you experiencing problems with your computer network? Are these error messages appearing?:

• Unable to clear the DNS cache
• Unable to renew your IP address
• An operation was performed on something that is not a socket
• Unable to clear the ARP cache

If so, here are some potential solutions for Windows XP/Vista.

1. Check to make sure your computer is on and is connected to a network.
2. Be aware that Windows has a built in function to repair a network connection. This function can give valuable information in the form of an error message if you know what you are looking for. Some common error messages given are:
   • Unable to clear the DNS cache
   • Unable to renew your IP address
   • Unable to clear the ARP cache
3. Deal with a message that states “Unable to clear the DNS cache.” When you get the message “Unable to clear the DNS cache”, this usually means that the DNS client service has been disabled. Follow these steps as an administrator to re-enable it:
   • Open the Services MMC plugin, located under Administrative Tools in the Control Panel;
   • Find the “DNS Client” service in the list presented and enter it’s properties by double-clicking it;
   • Change the Startup Type from Disabled to Manual or Automatic then click apply;
   • Either reboot or

Do you need to shutdown a server or other remote computer? Need to do this from the convenience of your own PC? Here’s how to shutdown a remote Windows computer from your own desktop.

1. Open the command prompt. This may be done by clicking on the “Start” button, and selecting “Run”.
2. Type in cmd and press Enter.
3. Type in shutdown -m \\computername, replacing “computername” with the name of the computer you wish to shutdown or the computers ip address.
4. Experiment with the shutdown command’s switches.
   • -r will force a restart, disabling any services or user interaction from interrupting it.
   • -c “comment” will force a comment to appear on the system being shutdown.
   • -t xx will force a timeout for “xx” seconds. For example, -t 60 would perform a shutdown after a 60 second timeout.
   • -a will abort the shutdown
   • A full command example: shutdown -m \\myserver -r -c “This system will shutdown in 60 seconds” -t 60
5. Another method is to
   • type shutdown -i in the run window.
   • Click the “Add” box and type the name of the computer you want to shutdown or it’s IP address. You can select what you want the computer to do.
   • In this mode, it is NECESSARY to add a comment. Finally press “OK”

   Note:

• For a

These instructions show how to connect two computers for the purpose of sharing data. This will let you share files and folders, printers, play network games, etc.

1. Choose a Network Address
   • Any network address will do for this purpose, so long as you understand the basics of how IPv4 works as explained below.
   • IPv4 (IP ver. 4) addresses are written like this: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (four numbers separated by three dots), in all RFC-1166 compliant countries. Each number ranges from 0 to 255. This is known as “Dotted Decimal Notation” or “Dot Notation” for short. The address is divided into two portions: the network portion and the host portion.

     For “Classful” networks, the network and host portions are as follows:
     (”n” represents the network portion, “x” represents the host portion)

     When the first number is 0 to 127 - nnn.xxx.xxx.xxx (ex. 10.xxx.xxx.xxx)
     These are known as “Class A” networks.

     When the first number is 128 to 191 - nnn.nnn.xxx.xxx (ex. 172.16.xxx.xxx)
     These are known as “Class B” networks.

     When the first number is 192 to 223 - nnn.nnn.nnn.xxx (ex. 192.168.1.xxx)
     These are known as “Class C” networks.

     When the first number is 224 to 239 - The address is used for multi-casting.

     When the first number is 240 to

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is the configuration of your Internet Protocol (IP) address, subnet mask, DNS servers, domain name suffix and about 200 other possible options to let your computer communicate with a network automatically via a server or router. It sounds complicated, but once set up, it can make connecting to a network much easier.

1. Log into Windows XP with administrator rights. This makes setting up the network for you, and other users, easier as you can make all the necessary changes to settings.
2. Look for the Network Neighborhood or My Network Places icon in your desktop. If it is not there, try your Start Menu.
3. Right-click the Network Neighborhood/My Network Places icon. A drop-down menu will appear.
4. Choose the “Properties” option, generally found at the bottom of the menu.
5. Look for an icon named “Local Area Connection”. The icon looks like a pair of computer connected by a link. Double-click this icon.
6. Click the “General” tab, if it is not already selected. You will see a list of protocols to choose form.
7. Scroll down and choose Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click the button that is labeled “Properties”.
8. Again, click the “General” tab, it it is not alreay selected. You will

If your printer has a built-in ethernet adaptor, adding your printer to your network is a snap. These instructions are appropriate for most HP printers with an ethernet adaptor. The instructions will differ slightly for those with an external print server. Here’s what you do:

1. If you use MAC address filtering on your wireless network, you will need to add your printer’s MAC address to your router configuration. If you don’t use MAC address filtering for your wireless network, you can skip to Step 4.
2. To get your printer’s MAC address, first print your printer’s configuration settings.
3. On the display menu, push the Menu button until you get to the Information Menu. Click the Item button to the right until you get to the Printer Configuration display. Hit Select.
4. Look for the printer’s hardware address on the configuration printout.
5. Using your web browser, login to your router’s configuration. Add your printer’s MAC address to the MAC address filtering area.
6. Perform a cold reset of your printer.
7. Remove the LAN cable.
8. Press & hold the Online/Go button while turning it on & continue to hold it until the display shows Cold Reset, then release it, wait for Ready, then turn it off again.
9. Connect the LAN cable and