please help with windows XP home network

I've got a weird problem... I have 2 computers networked via an SMC EZswitch 5 port hub. the main computer is hooked up directly to the net via a password requireing broadband ISP. I had set up internet sharing between the 2 computers and everything was working fine for about a month and then suddenly one day, out of the blue, the network goes down (ie. it would appear that neither computer is connected to each other... though the main computer is still accessing the internet just fine.). I've checked all the cables, replaced the network cards, reinstalled XP on both machines, but am still unable to network the 2 computers together again. the hub activity lights are blinking everytime I try one both connections and all lights are green but I am unable to ping either computer from the other so obviously, somewhere, there is a breakdown in the connection. I have tried to repair the connection on the old computer and it comes up with the error message "unable to renew IP address" mostly and occasionally adds "unable to flush the ARP cache", so I suspect the problem lies with the secondary machine. These errors occur on both ethernet cards that I have put in that machine whenever I try to repair either connection (only one is is use at a time, the other, I have disabled). Any ideas as to how to fix this???

If you were using DHCP on the Internet connected computer where the second computer was obtaining its IP address automatically, the "unable to renew IP address" message shows you that the second computer cannot contact the first computer to obtain its IP address. If you've checked the cables and network cards, perhaps try a different hub or different ports on the hub. Also try testing the hub in a different network, to see if it works there.

Cottonpicker, Edwin, I missed being No. 100,000, so I've viewed you 60,000 more times to make sure I get to be the quarter-millionth .

hey, stop being a troll and taking over this thread

but you're more than welcome to send me a screenshot + useragent when we reach 250,000 just to prove it