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router problems

1K views 20 replies 7 participants last post by  Tvov 
#1 ·
Hello all, it's been awhile since I've posted here. Anyway...

My problem is after installing a wired router, one computer goes online (like it should), and the other won't or can't. I think it is related to the aftermarket ethernet card on the older computer.

Specs:
Upstairs computer, which works fine; Gateway PIV 2g, WinXP, 60g hd, 1g RAM.

Downstairs computer, the one that is ornery; Gateway PII 400mhz, Win98, 10g hd, 64m RAM.

I have DSL from SBC.
I bought a Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL router, model BEFSR41, with 4 port switch. This plugged into the PIV no problems, it already had an ethernet plug.
I ran a 50 foot catv5 cable downstairs to the older computer. I had to install a Linksys Etherfast PCI Adapter card, model LNE100TX, in the older comp to plug into. The installation seemed to go fine, and I ran the installation CDROM and that seemed to work fine also. When the cable is plugged into the card, the two lights on the card light up.

On the router upstairs, all the lights are green for power, internet access, and the two cables running to the computers.

The downstairs comp keeps trying to use dial up. I unplugged the phone line from the back of the comp, so obviously it doesn't work. Two screens keep coming up -- "Can't dial a connection" (when sometimes it still tries to dial) or "Internet access not found" (or something similar). I re-ran the install disk for the ethernet card a couple times, and ran the install disk for the router on the downstairs computer a couple times. I have checked "Never dial a connection" on some screen that came up, and have checked "automatically detect connections", and also tried finding connection manually. Also, I manually looked for "new hardware", and the comp says the card is there and recognizes it.

I really think the problem is getting the downstairs computer to use the ethernet card. I tried all sorts of different things, with all sorts of different screens that came up, so I am a little confused and I am sure I am mixing up some of the info I am presenting here.

Ideas?

And thanks in advance for the help.
 
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Discussion starter · #4 ·
Thanks for the replies.

I was just playing with the old computer more.

The ethernet card is listed as being installed properly.

It seems that the problem is that it can't load or find a driver for the card. I put in the CD that came with the card, it runs, the computer asks me to put the Win98 disk in, I swap the CDs, multiple files come up as not being able to be found, others come up as being older than the ones already on the computer and it suggests to keep the files already there, and then the comp says everything is ready and to restart the computer. I restart, and it still doesn't work.

I haven't tried it yet, but I don't know if I will be able to log in to the router, because the comp says there is no connection.

Right now, I don't want to swap cards because the upstairs computer does access the internet right now, and I don't want to risk losing that right now (lol).

I will mess with this more later, because I have to get at least some work done today! lol I will try to copy the messages that come up when I try to do all this stuff.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Excellent info! I don't know if I'll be able to try all this tonight, but I'll let you all know how I fair.
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
Okay, possible dumb question alert, what is "IPS"? Internet Provider Service?

I know some about computers, but some of the shorthand is tripping me up, lol.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
Okay folks, here's the latest update.

HVAC-TEK --
On the downstairs Win98 computer, when I did the start-run-CMD, a screen came up saying something like "Cannot find file 'CMD' or one of it's components". When I did start-run-ipconfig, a small screen flashed up momentarily then vanished, and then nothing. Just the normal desktop screen.

On the upstairs WinXP computer, when I did ipconfig, it came up something like this;
Ethernet Adapter local area connection;
Connection specific DNS suffix: domain_not_set.invalid
IP address: -------- 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask: -------- 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway - : nothing here at all

PPP adapter sbcglobal.net;
Connection specific DNS suffix: nothing here
IP address: ---------- 69.177.XXXXXXX
Subnet Mask: ---------- 255.255.XXXXXXXX
Default Gateway: ------ 69.177.XXXXXXX

====================================================================

malkore:

How do I check the router configuration??


I still get the feeling the downstairs Win98 computer simply isn't recognizing the ethernet adapter to use it for internet access. When I checked hardware, the ethernet adapter is there, and doesn't have an exclamation point, which I believe means it is working.

Thanks again.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
Yes, my DSL router is a SpeedStream.

How do I --
"setup your Linksys router to do PPPoE and put in your login information."

This goes along with how do I check my router configuration.

The scary part of all this? Some friends actually ask me questions about computers because they think I know something about them...
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
Thanks for that link. I am going to go through it step by step on my WinXP computer. Then I'll try to tackle my Win98 computer, even though that one still simply doesn't want to recognize or use the ethernet card for internet access.
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
Thanks for the help. I can't seem to do any of the advice here. I have a friend who knows more than I do about this stuff hopefully coming over to take a look. I think it will be easier for him to actually see the screens coming up (and those that don't) in order to straighten this out.

I am assuming (and hoping) that my next post here will be saying that everything is working!
 
Discussion starter · #19 ·
Blitzer, thanks but that is one of the many things I have tried, nothing seems to be working. Like I said, the Win98 computer just doesn't want anything to do with the ethernet card!

At the moment, until my friend can come over, I'll just keep things set like they were originally (WinXP comp on DSL, Win98 comp using dialup).
 
Discussion starter · #21 ·
It looks like....maybe...YES!! Whooho!!

IT'S ALIIIVE!!

Everything seems to be working! After using run-command-ipconfig on my Win98 computer, I was able to finally configure the router using the Win98 computer. Then I was able to get the WinXP computer to recognize the router, and everything seems to work!!

For some reason, the WinXP computer was just accessing the internet through the router, without actually using it. We (I was on TeamSpeak with a friend from Denmark(!)) couldn't get the WinXP computer to take the IP address for the router to configure it. After 2 hours (!), my friend had to take a break, and I responded to a fire call (minor accident, no problem). I decided to play with the Win98 comp, and Voila! Working!

Thankyou for all your help. With a combination of the info you folks provided me, and help from Denmark, I figured it out.

We can all sleep well tonight, for a job well done!

Thank you all very much again!
 
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