Ok. I've been trying to figure this out for about a week and I've gotten no where.

So my mom got a new computer and let me have her old one. So I have an extra laptop now, cool, not that I have any use for it at all. But I feel cooler with two laptops.

She .. sucks at using computers. Windows was so bogged down I just downloaded Windows 7 to replace it fully. Well I couldn't get the Internet working. So I give up today. I install XP. Again, replacing it. (And somehow even though I did a complete reformat "You're going to loose all your data, yes/no ...Yes!" I found an .doc file of her address book. Weird.. It didn't show up in 7 and now I am seeing it on XP. Nothing else though, just a .doc address book chilling.)

anyways.

About a year ago I reinstalled windows on my computer and had this problem. But the first network driver I tried worked like a charm. Not the case here.

It's a Aspire 5600 with a realtek driver. At first I just gave it a basic driver and that didn't work. Then I got the driver from their website, and it's not working.

What could I possibly be doing wrong?

Does anyone know of a package I can download that would get my Internet working on this computer for sure? I'm going to leave my laptop at home and then lug this one to school so I'd like to be able to pick up Internet to surf during boring classes. I really have no need to get on the Internet with this, but it would be nice so I wouldn't have to transfer things through my external HD whenever I wanted something on the computer.

Google is of no help to me here.

What do you mean by "not working"? Do you get an IP address? Is there a link/activity light on the port?

It fails to acquire an active IP address.
I try resetting it and still nothing.

When I plug in the cable it will start searching for an active network and then get nothing.

Why don't you do a real format of the drive instead of just installing windows copy over windows copy? ( i know this doesnt fix your internet problem, but it might get rid of old documents)

Because I have no idea what I'm doing.

Well, It's been a while since I have done a format, but used to be you could pop in a windows CD, choose format drive to NTFS (or FAT32 for the oldies) and just wipe the drive clean without even installing anything. THEN you go back and install windows. IT IS possible that they have changed it since then... I think my last complete format was using a Windows XP Pro SP1 Disc.

edit: you had to do this in bios/setup screen when you start the computer, not actually from windows.

I'm going to install ubuntu real quick and see if its a computer problem or an idiot problem. (I did ubuntu on mine and internet worked fine)

I'd need to hear what exactly the problem with the connection is. You said internet so does network work? If so, maybe your router has something to do with it.

e:Don't bother installing, you just need to use a live CD. Try puppy linux or damn small linux, small downloads.

If you aren't getting an IP it's your router or some other kind of configuration problem, your drivers and OS are fine almost certainly.

Don't bother installing, you just need to use a live CD. Try puppy linux or damn small linux, small downloads.

If you aren't getting an IP it's your router or some other kind of configuration problem, your drivers and OS are fine almost certainly.

Do ipconfig at a command prompt and tell us what comes out.

Also try ping google.com

Also see if you can get to your router's web interface. The IP is the gateway IP you see in ipconfig.

Linux didn't work. Re-installing windows.

The message I was getting was "Limited or no connectivity. Blah blah blah" This is really weird. When my mom sent the computer to me, it worked fine. Now it doesn't.

No access to router - I live in a apartment complex set up like a dorm (each room has cable/tv you don't pay for)

Live CD .. whatever that is .. I'll see if I can dig one up.

Ok.. stop installing OSes, they aren't the problem. You're just wasting time.

You aren't getting an IP, it's almost certainly a router problem, rather it's on the router's end or yours.

Google live CD.

Also...

Ok.. stop installing OSes, they aren't the problem. You're just wasting time.

You aren't getting an IP, it's almost certainly a router problem, rather it's on the router's end or yours.

Google live CD.

doublepost ag is doublepostey

Yeah, sorry, I meant to edit them together. I'll do that.

upon reinstalling windows there is no gui
So I'll have to figure that out later.

But sounds like live should solve my problem. Thanks.

Not sure what you meant by a live cd .. googling comes up with a million different things.
ipconfig

A live CD is a CD that you can boot off of (i.e. you can run an OS without installing it)

Here's Puppy Linux's Live CD page

http://www.puppylinux.org/wiki/how-tos/booting/livecddvd

You can also use a flash drive if you don't have / like CDs.

EDIT: Nevermind.

I get limited or no activity often and its because we are using a cheap-o router that came with our service. I usually have to try to connect several times and or unplug the router and plug it back in (to power, not the connection).

Get a better router. Thats what I need at least.

Internet and TV included in my apartment complex - no router I have access to. Business grade account for a couple hundred people.

I found something that someone had a similar problem - couldn't connect to internet through cable but he posted a driver that let him use wireless. I'm gonna go try that now.

WHY THE HELL WOULD SOMEONE BUILT A TINY OBSCURE BUTTON ON A COMPUTER TO TURN INTERNET ACCESS ON/OFF :suicide::suicide::suicide::suicide::suicide::suicide:

problem solved (For wireless only .. still can't connect to wired connection)