Desktop PC connection problems

I'm having some connection issues I'm hoping someone can help me with. I'll try to make as much sense as I can, but I apologize in advance if I ramble.

In my bedroom / office I have a desktop PC and a netbook (which is what I'm using at the moment). The netbook is connected to a wireless router, while the desktop is connected to the modem, albeit via the router.

For the last two days I've been unable to connect to the internet with the desktop. The wireless signal is as strong as ever for my netbook, and I'm having no problems with that connection.

Thinking that something may be wrong with the router, I totally took it out of the equation, and had the connection going directly from the phone jack (I'm using AT&T High Speed DSL) to the modem and then from the modem to the computer. Still no luck. I Keep getting the "Firefox can't find the server at www.whateveriamlookingfor.com. However, the modem must be working since I am getting the wireless signal the with the router and the connection going wall-modem-router-computer.

I've looked at internet and firewall settings, and as far as I can tell, everything looks to be in order, so basically I'm stumped.

If anyone has experienced this problem, how did you fix it? Am I missing something when it comes to looking at the settings? I am open to any and all suggestions.

Many thanks in advance for any hints / tips / advice / suggestions provided.

Adam

edit: I've also swapped out ethernet cables thinking that that might be the problem, but i still could not connect.

 

Thanks for the reply Trotter.

Well, I checked the device manager and it said the driver was functioning properly, but I decided to reinstall the driver anyway, but still no connection.

If I have to go that route, I am assuming that I could install the PCI NIC you mentioned, and not have a "professional" do it? I'm a little hesitant when it comes to poking around the insides of a computer and I wouldn't want to make things worse.

 

Not sure if this means anything or not, but I was looking at the back where the cable plugs into the computer, and the light that's there is green, but every second or two it will flash yellow. Could that be a sign of something wrong?

 

It's a Compaq Presario, model SR5250NX

 

So easy a caveman could do it, right??

 

Thanks again for the reply. I'm at work right now, but I'll run through the troubleshooting pages this evening. I'll try another reinstall of the driver as well.

Yes, unfortunately I've tried the router and modem reboot twice, with the same results both times...nadda, zip, zilch, zero connection at the desktop.

 

Nothing.

I tried everything listed...all the troubleshooting information, reinstalling the driver and still no working connection.

I guess my next step is to replace the network card. Hopefully that will fix the problem. Payday isn't until Friday. so I'll have to wait until then to buy one. I'll report back when I get the new one installed. Hopefully I'll be doing it from my desktop abd not my laptop.

 

Well, still nothing.

I borrowed a few bucks from a friend and bought the network card yesterday evening. When I opened up my computer to do the replacement, I got a surprise. The ethernet "jack" (for lack of a better term) seemed to be permanently attached to a circuit board. It certainly wasn't in a slot.

Well, I decided to install the new card into an open slot anyway. Got it installed, put the tower back together, installed the driver from the CD that came with it and looked forward to surfing away.

Unfortunately I still have no connection to the internet with the desktop. I clicked on the device manager and it shows that the new card is functioning properly, and the green light lights up on the new card but it still won't connect.

I decided to call it quits last night before I got really ticked off and did something to make matters worse. Hopefully with the new day will come fresh insights on what to do, besides taking it over to Best Buy and having the Geek Squad check it out that is.

 

Yeah, there's 4 ports in the back of the router for "wired" computers, and I tried every one of them with no success. I even took the wireless router out of the equation, and just had the line running from wall to modem and modem to computer and got nothing.

I've done the reset on both the modem and the router and that didn't work. And yes, I've "disabled" the original port in the back on the tower, and unfortunately that didn't help either.

So for now, since money is very tight, I guess I'll connect to the internet with my netbook and if I can scrape up some extra money I'll take the desktop somewhere to have it looked at.

One thing I've done is to hook my 21" monitor to my notebook for easier viewing. A 21" screen sure beats the heck out of a 10.1" screen any day of the week. :thumbsup: