Troubles connecting 1 PC and 1 laptop to a wireless router!!!!HELP PLEASE

I have a problem that I hope someone who knows more than me can help me fix. I have a PC running Windows Me that is hooked up to the internet through a cable modem. I also have a laptop running XP that has a wireless card to access the internet through a wireless cable router. The internet was working fine on the PC until I unplugged it and hooked it into the back of the router. I plugged the Ethernet cable from the cable modem directly into the back of the cable in slot on the router. And to access internet for the PC it was hooked up through the first out slot to the ethernet card on the computer. The router is installed on the computer. The laptop is hooked up through the wireless card via the router. The wireless card detects the internet but Internet Explorer wont sign on. The PC wont even detect the ethernet card. So I unplugged the router and hooked up the cable modem directly to the PC hoping I could at least access the internet from the PC, but now I can't. I don't know what changes the router did the computer, but even with the router unplugged and now uninstalled, the PC can't access the internet. It is hooked directly up to the cable modem, which is the exact same hook up that it was before when it was working. Is there something or some setting I am overlooking to make the internet work again. I can't access it at all, I am on a friend computer.......HELP!!!!!

I get confused reading your description.



So you have two completely separate Internet connections and two modems?



Which PC? What did you unplug from where?

I have a standard ethernet card on the PC that is connected to a cable modem for internet access. I wanted to add a wireless router so that I could access the internet also through my laptop. But, when everything was installed it still wouldnt work so I hooked the PC up to the just the cable modem via my PC ethernet card, and it wouldn't work then, after the connection had worked before. I uninstalled the router off the PC and went to winipcfg to configure my ethernet card IP settings and the PC still wont connect to the internet. I dont know if the router made changes to the computer that I am overlooking. I just wanna be able to connect my PC back to the internet again. Sorry I was so confusing. Thanks.......

Doesn't sound like you followed the wireless routers manual. They usually are pretty good and step you thru one step at time. Routers don't make changes to your computer.

check your tcp/ip setting in networking properties. They need to be set the way they should be for cable. If you didn't write them down call your cable company and they will give them to you.

Those are the same settings you would have put on the wan interface of the router by the way. best of luck!

What does it mean when you say, "The PC won't even detect the ethernet card."? It doesn't show as a networking component when you look at the network setup? If not, you need to add it back in. If you go to Device Manager and click on it, you can remove it. When you reboot, it should detect it and reinstall the drivers. Then go back to network via the control panel and make sure its properties are set up properly there.

You have to run the network setup wizard(start->Programs->accessories->communication->network setup) on your PC that connects to internet and share the internet connection. Hook your wireless router to the PC. You are done. you should be able to connect to internet wirelessly. I have almost similar setup except that I use a ADSL USB modem. It is working fine for me. I have one problem that when I start VPN on my laptop(through wireless adapter), connection is very slow(slower than dial-up). Normal internet connection is fast. Let me know if you find a solution for this.