Patent ID: 7925765

Claim:
A computer for use as a host on a wireless LAN, the wireless LAN having at least one access point, and the computer being a first computer comprising: a) at least one wireless communication interface; b) a computer-readable device having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising: i) detecting a connectivity problem based on the first computer being unable to communicate over the wireless LAN through the at least one access point; ii) in response to detecting that the first computer is unable to communicate over the wireless LAN through the at least one access point, automatically forming a request for diagnostic information and using the at least one wireless communication interface of the first computer unable to communicate over the wireless LAN to transmit the request for diagnostic information to at least one second computer acting as a host on the wireless LAN; iii) receiving, by the first computer unable to communicate over the wireless LAN, diagnostic information from the at least one second computer acting as a host on the wireless LAN, wherein the diagnostic information is transmitted by the at least one second computer in response to the request transmitted by the first computer and is received by the first computer via the at least one wireless communication interface, and wherein the diagnostic information comprises a configuration setting of the at least one second computer and/or an operating condition of the at least one second computer; and iv) diagnosing, by the first computer unable to communicate over the wireless LAN, the connectivity problem using the diagnostic information received from the at least one second computer via the at least one wireless communication interface.