Dialing up and getting connection. . but not receiving info...ping tests failing

Question

I am a techie neophyte.  I have an Insprion 3800 I purchased 12/2000 and never had problems.  I use a dialup modem and MSN to connect to the internet.  I recently installed (and subseqently uninstalled) a Linksys Wireless-G notebook adapter because I wanted to be able to take my laptop away from home (and my dialup) to a cafe or other 'hot spot'.  Well, I tested the wireless here at work and I could connect to it.  But I could not access the internet.  I got home, tried my tried and true dialup.  Nothing.  I was connected, but could not access the internet any longer.  I spend hours talking with MSN for them to discover that it was not MSN, but they said that my communications suite in my computer was messed up and I should talk with Dell.  Well, it takes FOREVER to get through to anyone at Dell and when what they have me try doesn't work, I get frustrated.  Do I need to reinstall my dial-up networking?  I don't know how to do this.  SO, basically, I am dialing up, getting  a connection, but not receiving info.  It seems to take a long time to authenticate  and get the connection, but apparently, according to MSN, it's there. Any help or ideas or suggestions?  I'm afraid I really messed things up trying to 'upgrade' my computer and go high-tech. HELP!!! Please :smileysad:

MRF4700 · Answer

lulucaribou Not to familiar with the configurations of High Speed dial-up... What kind of cable did you connect to your computer for dial-up access, prior to getting your notebook adapter?(Network (CAT 5) or telephone line)     Message Edited by MRF4700 on 11-04-2005 10:49 PM

lulucaribou · Answer

Hi,  I use my telephone line and a moden to connect.  Which makes it challenging to talk to tech support and test their fixes at the same time.  Borrowing a cell phone and the battery dies while I'm on-line with India or the Phillipines for hours on end.  And I'm not closer to a fix than before. THanks for any and all help.

MRF4700 · Answer

lulucaribou I'm having a little trouble making sense of the content of your posts.  Maybe, if we start from the beginning I can get a better understanding of the problem... Most network adaptors come with a driver and utility that you install on your computer to allow it to operate. Did you install both of these on your computer? What operating system are you running on your laptop?

lulucaribou · Answer

Hi, I'm sorry if I'm not making sense. Perhaps "networking" isn't the right topic, but I didn't see where one of the topic options fit my predicament. My home laptop computer is not networked into a server or anything like that.

My laptop is a Dell Inspriron 3800 purchased 12/2000
The Operating System is Windows ME.
I use MSN as my on-line service provider and I use a dial-up modem (via unplugging my phone and plugging into my computer) to a gain access to the internet.
I use Internet Explorer as my browser.
I tried to install the Linksys Wireless-G notebook adapter on my laptop thinking that was all I had to do to make my laptop computer able to access the internet if I was away from my home/phone-line dial-up.

Please let me know what info. I can provide. In reading some of the posts that folks have written, I don't understand much of the techie questions and links to computer sites, etc. But I'm very good at following instructions.

Thanks so much for trying to help me figure out why I can't seem to no longer access the internet on my laptop computer even though I'm "connecting" according to MSN (the online service provider>)

MRF4700 · Answer

lulucaribou It sounds like you can't connect to the internet via your network adapter at home because you don't have the proper equipment... you would need a wireless router. The reason you possibly cannot access the internet at work is, that depending on how the network is structured, your adapter may not be configured to accept such a connection. First of all, I trust that you know never to install or remove your network adapter card with your laptop power on. This could damage the card, the service port you insert it in, or both. I'm not familiar with the ME operating system. Do you know how to access the Device Manager application?   Message Edited by MRF4700 on 11-09-2005 04:28 PM Message Edited by MRF4700 on 11-09-2005 04:32 PM

lulucaribou · Answer

Hi,

I'm guessing I would find Device Manager under System Properties via Control Panel. But I'll have to doublecheck when I'm home.

I am embarrassed to say I was NOT aware that my laptop should not be on when I install or remove the wireless card. It seems counterintuitive, but that might have been what messed up my computer. Is there a way to test of the card is damaged as a result of my stupidity? Or did I trash my computer? I don't HAVE to have wireless, so maybe I should just junk that part of it and try to get the dial-up phone modem working again somehow.

THanks again for your very good questions and detective work. I really, really appreciate it. I hope I can at least get things back to how they were before.

Cheers!

MRF4700 · Answer

lulucaribou If you do not currently have your Linksys wireless notebook adapter installed in your laptop, please shutdown your laptop and do so? Then after power up, get into the Device Manager? Most Windows systems you can access Device Manager by clicking Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > clicking the Hardware tab > click Device Manager button. From hardware list your looking for Network Adapters. Click the plus sign(+) next to it and see if your Linksys adapter is registered. Check to see if there are any yellow exclamation or question marks next to it? This is indicative of a faulty, or incomplete driver installation. Don't feel bad about not knowing that your laptop had to be powered off in order to install or remove the card...That's how I fried my very first network card! I've never heard of somone screwing up their computer by removing or installing their network card with power on the computer. The damage if any, seems to be limited to the card, or the port that it is inserted in. I did not perceive an answer to my previous question, in your previous posts. When you installed the network card initially, did you install the driver and utility software, from the CD, onto your laptop?       Message Edited by MRF4700 on 11-09-2005 05:18 PM

lulucaribou · Answer

Hi,

Thanks again. Good to know I havn't fried the whole computer.

I did not perceive an answer to my previous question, in your previous posts. When you installed the network card initially, did you install the driver and utility software, from the CD, onto your laptop?

I'm not actually sure. . . Everything came "ready to go" when I bought my computer .
When I installed the wireless card, there weren't instructions in the box, so I put the CD in an did a run/install.
Then I went to Control Panel to Uninstall when I saw things weren't working.

I am going out of town for a few days and may not be able to respond right away with the suggestions you gave me, but I plan to.

Thanks again for your quick help.

lulucaribou · Answer

Hi, Well somehow I got things working again.  I went into Device Manager and Setting and anyplace else I could think of and checked settings.  Looks like some     might have gotten reset,  maybe when I tried to install the wireless.  Anyway, I have access now.  But I am not thrilled about trying to reinstall the wireless adapter and messing it up again and maybe worse.   Thanks again for all your help!!!!   Cheers~

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Dialing up and getting connection. . but not receiving info...ping tests failing

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