Help Can't connect my laptop via LAN cable

Can't connect my laptop via LAN cable RJ-45 to a large network or to another PC but I can connect to a ADSL modem via RJ-45 network cable. Have tried both normal and cross connect cables.

I have a new Dell 6000 Inspiron.

I've looked everywhere and tried many things in properties, settings, control panel, help, XP CD network setup, etc.... and don't find anything that works.

Help

I have tried both types of cables: normal and cross-over cables.

Green light is on and the yellow light blinks sometimes on my laptop when i connect the cable from my laptop to my modem or to my other pc; I just discovered them :-O I will look at those lights when I connect to the library's large network.

Im looking for ANY option that may allow my laptop to see other pcs and communicate with anything in ANY way via LAN cable.

Is there ANY software that i can put on both PCs that will load ANY drivers or software to get them to communicate and debug the links ????? There must be something !!!!!????

 

1. what specifically are you trying to do? connect to web or share files?
2. what is the topography of the LAN?
3. are you on battery?

 

So, does your comptuer even recognize that the cable is inserted?

I would try reinstalling the Ethernet drivers.

 

check your IP address. Some do this by going into network connections under MY Computer or in Control Panel. I prefer the old school method of going to start / run / cmd -> enter / type in ipconfig and see if you're pulling a 192.168.x.x IP address.

If you're not, try to 'repair' the IP address. In 'cmd' mode, you type ipconfig /renew . Works for my on my desktop system.

You may need to go into Internet Options (again in control panel or open internet explorer and go to tools / internet options), then Connections tab and setup your connection.

Make sure that (under advanced) yours is set to 'assign IP address automatically'. or something along those lines.


In order to see other items on the same network, you have to let Windows know what the network name is. I have a certain name for my home network. Therefore, before my laptop would see my other computers in my home, I had to do the 'network setup wizard' and let it know the name of my home network. After that, a quick reboot and BOOM. There's all my shared drives, printers, etc.

 

1. Share Files primarily and hopefully other stuff
2. simple PC to PC via RJ45 cable (tried both normal and cross-over cables)
3. no, plugged in

 

Thanks for the info,

But why do I have to set IP addresses to connect 2 PCs together via a LAN RJ45 cable ? Internet WWW access is for later.

 

Aardvark,

When connecting to a large (corp) network, as ninefoot3 indicated, you must have the "Obtain an IP Address Automatically" set in your TCP/IP settings. This is needed because the corp network uses DHCP to assign an IP address and other settings to connected clients. It's possible the company may have locked do the system to revent foreign computers from obtaining an IP address (MAC or Computer name filtering)

When connecting 2 PC's together directly via an RJ-45 cable (no router/swtiches/hubs), you need to get a cross-over cable and an IP address needs to be specifically set for each computer. This is needed as there is not DHCP to assign an IP address to each system. You would need to assign addresses in a similar address range (eg. IP1:192.168.1.1, IP2:192.168.1.2) for each computer and the subnet mask needs to be identical on each system. Also, under Advanced Button => WINS Tab => Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.

Also, make sure the card is not disabled in the Device Manager.

-Vb-

 

sounds like you do not have a special connection set up for the dsl. Go to Start: Network Connections: Set up a new connection: and set up the details of your adsl account; a dsl goes under the pppoe setup.

Connecting through a ethernet LAN, unless there is security protection set up, it is just plug in and go. Not so with the dsl, you need to set up the acct under xp so xp can supply the info to the dsl modem.

 

THANKS A LOT Venombite, you won the cigar, your the 1st and only valid solution. I was able to connect my 2 PCs together.

And I was also able to figure how to connect it to a huge 'corporate' network.

Thanks again to all who help resolve this 1 month old problem

Issues I had to resolve also was the firewall; it kept enabling itself whenever the laptop came out of 'hibernation'....

The following web pages are similar but slightly differ regarding "Enable NetBIOS"
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/iss/schools/itsupport/pctopc_howto.html