1/6/2020 How to Manually Assign an IP Address in Windows 7

  Computers  PCs  How to Manually Assign an IP Address in Windows 7

How to Manually Assign an IP Address

in Windows 7
RELATED BOOK

Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies, 3rd Edition

By Dan Gookin

Most computers that are attached to an Ethernet network will have their IP addresses assigned
automatically by DHCP. You can con gure your PC to use its own IP address, e ectively disabling
DHCP. Here’s how to do that in Windows 7:

1 Open the Network and Sharing Center window.

2 On the right side of the window, choose the link Local Area Connection.

3 In the Status dialog box, click the Properties button.

A Properties dialog box for the connection appears. It lists the various protocols and services
being used by the connection.

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4 Select the service titled Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).

5 Click the Properties button.

The dialog box labeled Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties appears.

6 Choose the option Use the Following IP Address.

7 Type the IP address.

At this point, you must know what you’re doing. Seriously. Typing an improper IP address, or
one that’s out of range, means that your computer cannot use the network.

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8 Type a subnet mask.

For a local-area network, the value is usually 255.255.255.0, but it could be something else
depending on the speci cs of your network.

9 Type the default gateway address.

The default gateway address is the IP address for the network’s router.

Because DHCP also obtains the address for the DNS server, which helps your computer nd
addresses on the Internet, you need to manually list those addresses as well.

10 Type the address of the preferred DNS server.

This value is obtained from your ISP.

11 Type the address for the alternative DNS server.

The alternate DNS server’s IP address is also something that your ISP must provide.

12 Click OK to close the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties dialog box.

13 Close the other open dialog boxes and windows.

Yes, it’s kind of an ordeal to manually con gure an IP address. The complex process
underscores why DHCP was necessary and how it became popular.

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  Computers  PCs  Test the Microphone on Your Windows PC

Test the Microphone on Your Windows

PC
RELATED BOOK
Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies, 3rd Edition

By Dan Gookin

For a microphone to work on your computer, it must be plugged into the pink jack on your PC,
unless it’s a USB microphone, which simply plugs into the USB port.

After plugging in the microphone, test the thing. Testing works di erently depending on your version
of Windows.

To test the microphone in Windows 7 and Windows Vista, heed these steps:

1 Ensure that the microphone is properly connected and stu .

2 Open the Control Panel and choose Ease of Access.

3 Choose the link Set Up Microphone, found beneath the Speech Recognition heading.

The Microphone Setup Wizard materializes.

4 Choose the type of microphone you’re using: the headset, cheap-o desktop microphone
or the they-saw-you-coming microphone that the guy at the music store sold you.

5 Click the Next button, and so on.

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After seeing a few meaningless screens, you eventually approach the Adjust the Microphone
Volume screen — pay dirt.

6 Speak away.

Say: “Enunciation is the prestidigitation of audio infatuation.” Or be a wienie and say, “Test,
test.”
Watch that green bar go! Basically, by seeing the visual feedback, you con rm that the
microphone is working.

7 Continue working through the wizard or just click Cancel.

If you’re satis ed with the results, you can bail out on the wizard. Otherwise, keep clicking
Next and eventually you arrive at the Finish button.

To con rm that your microphone works in Windows XP, follow these steps:

1 Plug in the microphone all nice and snug.

And stu .

2 Open the Control Panel’s Sounds and Audio Devices icon.

3 Click the Voice tab.

4 Click the Test Hardware button.

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The Sound Hardware Test Wizard appears.

5 Click the Next button.

Hum a jaunty tune while the hardware is tested.

6 Speak into the microphone to test the volume.

The volume meter on the screen should dance up and down as you vocalize.

7 Click the Next button after con rming that the microphone works.

8 Click the Finish button.

Your computer may not be con gured to use the speci c microphone jack that your
microphone is plugged into. If your PC came with speci c audio software, use it to con gure
the audio jacks to accept microphone input.

You don’t want to spend too much or too little on a PC microphone. Cheap microphones don’t
work well, record poorly, and are annoying to hear for audio chat and online communications.
Expensive microphones may require a mixer or pre-amp to work properly.

Good microphones can be found in any computer or o ce supply store.

A microphone headset provides both headphones and a microphone. It’s perfect for online
communications and gaming.

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