Latidude 620D and internet connection

I just bought a refurbished 620D. I have never had a laptop and this one came without a user's guide. I have a Dell Studio and DSL. I do contract psychotherapy and needed a laptop for notes, etc. I went cheap because I only need to use Word and occasionally the internet and email.

Now I can't figure out how to connect to the internet. I thought I could just connect the ethernet from my pc to the laptop but that does not work. Diagnosing says something about the firewall and I tinkered with that a bit with no success.

Any instructions about what I need to do will be appreciated.

Annelee

 

Are you trying to connect using wireless or through a cable? If wireless then the router may have some security enabled for which you will have to make some settings in your wireless software.

John

 

Windows XP?

Notebook LAN port (network adapter) enabled in Device Manager?

Notebook LAN port wired to DSL modem/router LAN port? Inspect the cable for damage.

Does the DSL modem have a router/switch/firewall/DHCP server built into it? Or, what name/model DSL unit?

DSL modem/Router should be configured to automatically assigned an IP address to clients, and should not be blocking your notebook LAN port MAC address (someone would have had to enable MAC address restrictions... not likely unless they got over zealous with WLAN security).

Turn all OFF. Turn on DSL modem/router. Boot notebook. OS should secure IP address from DSL modem/router... then OS Local Area Network Connection should be active... confirm its status... should have an IP address assigned by the DSL modem/router and should see Internet Gateway IP address(es).

Get this working before running apps like mail or browser, since you need a working connection before anything will work.

GK