Need help installing this router!!!

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: May 29, 2005 Posts: 6

I have a decent old Dell computer, 1 gig of ram, 3.4 gig processor, but the integrated network card went bad over a year ago. I have since been connecting with Comcast cable modem via USB. I didn't think before I ordered Vonage, and now I am in a pickle. I installed a Netgear gigabit networking card, but even with that in the PCI slot, things aren't working properly. I cannot connect and get an IP address for the router when I try to connect to internet just using the ethernet card. What am I doing wrong? I spent 4 hours trying to figure this out! Thanks for any advice.

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Sun May 29, 2005 9:24 am Post subject:

explain your network setup, including models, etc.
i.e. motorola surfboard 5100 modem to linksys/vonage rt31p2 wan port, etc etc

Posts: 90 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: May 05, 2005 Posts: 90

Time for a new computer.

If the network "card" on the motherboard went south, all bets are off. Who knows what else is broken?

Trying to install a PCI card at this point will probably generate a nighmare of Windows compatibility problems, as Windows tries to recognize the old network "card" and/or the new card conflicts with the old one. If the on-board interface is broken, it might be doing all sorts of weird stuff that might not allow you to install the new card.

Sell the old computer on eBay (with the disclosure that the network interface is shot) and buy a new Dell.

Prices start at $499, including monitor, etc. and chances are, even a plain-jane bottom-of-the-line new model is more powerful than your old one.

Your problem is a computer one, not a Vonage one. Fixing computers is like fixing TV sets. Given the cost of these things, it is no longer worthwhile trying to repair them. "No user servicable parts inside".

Two years ago I junked my fleet of old ho-made computers and bought three new Dell's for about $1300 delivered. That's less than I paid for ONE computer just a few years back.

In about 2 years, I expect I'll do the same thing again. These things are commodity items, not capital equipment.

Dude - You're getting a new Dell!

Good Luck!

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 11

Make sure that you disable the old nic in the Device Manager....Reboot.
Check Device Manager to confirm it's not enabled.
Shut down install new card from scratch........Boot.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: May 29, 2005 Posts: 6

I have the Linksys RT31P2-VD router, a Motorola surfboard cable modem, Comcast cable internet service. I tried to connect the modem with ethernet cable to internet port on router, then connect ethernet port 1 on router to ethernet connection on NIC, then phone into router, power cord, etc. I could not get past the internet detection part of stage 4 for the Linksys router setup program. When I have the modem connected to a USB port, the internet connection is there, it works wonderfully. I don't know why I cannot get the computer to recognize and use ethernet cards. I have disabled the integrated card, so that connection isn't a problem. I set up the new NIC, but it doesn't work. The LEDs were on last night when connected to the router, but when I try to just connect it to the modem, it doesn't work. I have disabled, powered down, reset modem, plugged modem into NIC, and rebooted, but still no luck. Do you think that I could get away with using two USB-Ethernet adapters to connect everything from the router to my computer?

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: May 29, 2005 Posts: 6

Oh, and the integrated NIC went south a long time ago, I had been quite happy connecting with my USB cable, with no other problems with this system. It is a nice little number, fast enough processor, 1 gig of ddr sdram, nice newish video card, etc. All of the USB ports on the same line next to the ethernet jack work, so I have no idea why the computer keeps saying "network cable unplugged" when I try to use the port. The LED is lit, it doesn't make sense. Could this be a software/networking issue?

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Sun May 29, 2005 12:39 pm Post subject:

along the lines of miadlor, I would disable the nic in the bios if it's not already. there should be an option for that since it's onboard.
have you tried connecting the netgear directly to the cable modem? and of course making sure the nic is installed correctly using drivers from netgear. and since this is a gigabit card, I'm not familiar with them but make sure it's backwards compatible.

Posts: 90 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: May 05, 2005 Posts: 90

reebok wrote:

along the lines of miadlor, I would disable the nic in the bios if it's not already. there should be an option for that since it's onboard.
have you tried connecting the netgear directly to the cable modem? and of course making sure the nic is installed correctly using drivers from netgear. and since this is a gigabit card, I'm not familiar with them but make sure it's backwards compatible.

There is one problem with this idea. The NIC is BROKEN. So it is entirely possible that the computer is not recognizing it as being disabled. It might not in fact be broken, but there may be some problem with the processor or elsewhere on the motherboard - which is leading the user to believe it is broken, when actually it is a processor problem.

The computer is BROKEN. Replace it. A new one with similar features runs about $499 with monitor (probably less without).

With any luck, you could reuse the SRAM.

OR, you can spend hours getting frustrated trying to repair what is a $200 computer on a good day.

You decide.

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: May 21, 2005 Posts: 10

This detail may have gotten by me - did you have Internet access before you hooked up your phone and your computer to the router and the router to the modem?

If so, hook the computer back to the modem.

I don't konw if this works in all operating systems, but what I did, in Windows 95 (also works in Windows 9 Cool

, is I ran WINIPCFG, in Start, Run. First I wrote down the settings that were there.

Then I hooked up my equipment and ran it again. Click release, then click renew. It just picked up the correct IP address to reach the router. Only then could I type in the url (numeric) to get into the router and set it up. I believe that you have to tell both the computer and the router to obtain the IP address automatically - assuming you have the kind of IP address that changes.

Now, that is with my Linksys that was provided by Vonage.

If you were NOT able to access the internet sans the phone adapter/ router, then you need to contact your ISP for help. Thugh it could be a simple setup matter. You might have to delete and add things, set up your internet connection differently and so on.

Yours,
Dora

Yours,
Dora

Posts: 646

robertplattbell wrote:

There is one problem with this idea. The NIC is BROKEN. So it is entirely possible that the computer is not recognizing it as being disabled. It might not in fact be broken, but there may be some problem with the processor or elsewhere on the motherboard - which is leading the user to believe it is broken, when actually it is a processor problem.

The computer is BROKEN. Replace it. A new one with similar features runs about $499 with monitor (probably less without).

With any luck, you could reuse the SRAM.

OR, you can spend hours getting frustrated trying to repair what is a $200 computer on a good day.

You decide.

Oh come on, really, I think you should go have a nice cup of STFU. Most reasonable people aren't made of money, and would consider $500 to be a significant purchase. People are switching to Vonage for one primary purpose: to save money. There's no sense in just buying a new computer without expending some effort to try to fix the problem first... It's not a fricking toaster.