My router in connected via ethernet cable but I can only connect via wireless, I know the wired would be faster but I don't know how to configured my computer to connect hardwire instead of the wireless.
#1 Would you like to make sure all of the computer(s) at your location use a wired connection OR just your computer uses a wired connection?
#2 What is the brand and model of this router? For example:
Actiontec MI-424-WI
#3 What is your OS and Version? For example..
Windows XP Home SP3.
#4 What your Wireless Mananger?
For example, the built in Wireless Mananger built into Windows XP.
#5 What is the brand and model of the Wired NIC?
Most of the time you can simply plug your computer into the Ethernet port on your router and it will take care of the rest.You connect the PC to one of the four ports on the back of the router.
When the cable is connected, you should see the PC's NIC light up indicating a link, and your Operating System should indicate a link being online to the router. Typicaly the PC will show "100Mbps" as the speed on a Fast Ethernet connection, as seen from the Network Connections Control Panel option. If you're getting this far, then that should be one step of the equation down. By default the NIC and the router should be set to auto negotiate a link.
The second step should be to ensure your PC is getting a valid IP address from the router. There are a few things that could happen in this case. In almost all cases, the PC, upon establishing a link, will attempt to use a protocol called DHCP to obtain IP address information from the router. If a DHCP reply is sent back, and it should come back by default, the PC will use the supplied information and you're pretty much set. If DHCP fails, then this could be indicative of perhaps a bad link, or the network not having a DHCP server enabled. In a typical home setup, the second option is not too common. The third thing that could happen would be despite the presence or lack of a DHCP server on the network, the PC will use a Static IP address. Static IPs have to be manually configured by the computer user, so unless you know how to change the TCP/IP settings in Windows and what to assign, it is unlikely that you have touched those settings. These settings can either make or break the connection.
To see if your PC is able to get an IP address, click on the Start Menu and either choose "Run..." or use the Start Menu Search Box. Regardless of what you are picking, type in "cmd" into the search box or the Run Box, and then press Enter if you are using Run, or wait until "cmd" shows up in the search box. This will open up Command Prompt. In the Command Prompt, enter in the command:
ipconfig
... and then press Enter. Your PC will give a basic readout of the information it has. If you have not changed any router settings, your PC should be holding an IP address of 192.168.1.*** with a Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.0 and a Default Gateway of 192.168.1.1 . If for some reason you get a 169.254.***.*** IP address, your PC was unable to obtain an IP address from the network. If this is the case, please let us know so we can see what the deal is.
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