[burronator]

Hi everyone,

Thanks in advance for your help!

I need help setting up the connection from my Dell desktop to my Linksys router. I'm clueless with internet connection stuff! I have a ThinkPad that I have a wireless connection on (someone helped me set it up), and now I need to set up the Dell desktop with a wired connection to the same router. Both systems run XP.

You should know that just yesterday I had to delete a partition and reinstall XP on this Dell. I also reinstalled the system software from the Dell disk (Multimedia, Internet software, etc.).

I've tried to use the wizard to connect, but it doesn't seem to see the router. I've unplugged the modem and router and restarted the PC but it hasn't worked. The Dell has an ethernet card, but I can't remember if it had a disk when it was purchased and if I need it to set this up.

I will check this post often, so if you need more info just ask.

Thanks again!
Curt

[pedroguy]

Hi:Here is a pretty good tutorial on that subject.
Tips on setting up broadband connection, courtesy of Johnwill

You don't need any setup disk to configure a broadband router.


Reset the router to factory defaults by holding the reset button down for 15 seconds with power on. The following procedure should get you a connection with any broadband modem that is configured to use DHCP for the router connection, such as cable modems, and many DSL modems. If you require PPPoE configuration for the DSL modem, that will have to be configured to match the ISP requirements.
• Turn off everything, the modem, router, computer.
• Connect the modem to the router's WAN/Internet port.
• Connect the computer to one of the router's LAN/Network ports.
• Turn on the modem, wait for a steady connect light.
• Turn on the router, wait for two minutes.
• Boot the computer.

When the computer is completely booted, let's see this.

Hold the Windows key and press R, then type CMD (COMMAND for W98/WME) to open a command prompt:

NOTE: For the items below in red surrounded with < >, see comments below for the actual information content, they are value substitutions from the previous command output!

In the command prompt window that opens, type type the following commands one at a time, followed by the Enter key:

IPCONFIG /ALL

PING <computer_IP_address>

PING <default_gateway_address>

PING <dns_servers>

PING 206.190.60.37

PING yahoo.com

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter to copy the contents to the clipboard.
Paste the results in a message here.
Also,is this a cable or dsl connection?

And this from the linksys site

http://linksys.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/...p?p_faqid=3678

Also,since you did a re-install you may have to go to the Dell site and download:
Chipset driver for your model and any network adapters that you have.

[burronator]

Thank you for all the info. One worry though- if I reset the router and then have trouble with your instructions, I have no way to contact you since I'm using my wireless from my laptop now. I'll have no clue how to get the laptop back up on wireless.

Is there a way to just add the other one without losing the wireless?

By the way, I have a cable modem.

[Billyd65]

If you already have a wireless connection through your Linsys router, there is no need to reset the moder or router. You should be able to connect a network cable from one of the network ports on the router to the computer.

If you have done this, open a command prompt

START -> RUN -> CMD and press enter
Type IPCONFIG /ALL (Note the space between the G and the /)
Press Enter and post back the results here

If you see an IP Address (IPv4) that starts with 169. type
IPCONFIG /RENEW (Note the space between the G and the /)

[burronator]

C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>IPCONFIG /ALL

Windows IP Configuration


That's all that comes up and then another prompt of course.

[Billyd65]

Type the following:

ping 127.0.0.1
press enter
and tell us what comes up

[burronator]

Pinging 127.0.0.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 127.0.0.1:

[burronator]

Sorry....this is the rest-

Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 <0% loss>,
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

[Billyd65]

That tells me your NIC is working correctly.

Type
IPCONFIG
Press enter. This is a shortened version of what we did earlier. Just in case something flew by and we missed it

[burronator]

Nothing new from earlier.

[Billyd65]

Do you have another cable that you can use to connect the computer to the router? This is sounding like a cable problem

[burronator]

I replaced it earlier today with no difference.

Hey, I just remembered that this PC was hooked up with DSL before, not cable. Does that mean my jack in the back of the CPU is different somehow? I plugged it into the only ethernet sized jack in back.

[burronator]

I also just looked at the device manager. The "ethernet controller" says its drivers arent installed. Is that the device I need? If so, I guess thats fairly obvious hey!

[burronator]

Problem is I have no idea what type of controller it is so I can look for the drivers online from my laptop. (there is no disk anymore)

[burronator]

Hang on- found a disk hiding in my Dell stuff. Might have the drivers....