Connect to internet using USB Ethernet adapter

[KiwiGenie]

I am trying to connect to the internet using a USB Ethernet adapter. It installs but won't connect to my dsl modem. The ethernet light on the modem doesn't even light up, though the same cable works plugged from the modem to the ethernet port on hubby's laptop. I thought the adapter was all I needed to connect..what am I missing?
Can someone please help point me in the right direction I really am stumped.

[Banfa]

By the sounds of it the Ethernet adapter should be all you need, are you sure that your USB adapter is working correctly?

Have you set up a network ("New Connection") in Control Panel -> Network Connections?

[KiwiGenie]

Hi, thanks for replying. I am not at all sure if the adapter is working correctly, it seems not to be since I get no ethernet light on the modem when I plug the ethernet cable into the adapter, yet I get a light if I plug the same cord into the laptop's ethernet socket.
I didn't set up a new network in Control Panel .. Network Connections, I simply installed the driver that came with the adapter and now whenever the adapter is plugged in it shows up as a local area connection with network cable unplugged, whether the ethernet cable is plugged into it or not.
I'm thinking either the adapter is faulty or its one of the advanced settings somewhere, any ideas?

[RevBooter]

if you go into device manager (right click on my computer, manager, then device manager), and make sure everything in there looks sound, then have a little nosey through the event viewer, and make sure nothing is showing there. im a little confused about the dsl modem, and why you need a usb adaptor etc, could you give me a little background knowledge on this topic? (im assuming you are running out of free usb ports, which is why you are using a network cable???). cheers! :)

[Banfa]

I had a quick thought, have you tried the same cable to connect your computer to the "modem" as used when connecting your hubbies computer? If not try using the same cable just to make sure it isn't a cable problem.

I am slightly concerned at you use of the word modem, do you mean router? If the modem/router has an easily visible make/model then post that so we know exactly what we are talking about.

[KiwiGenie]

I've been working crazy hours this week so am running on limited brainpower here but here goes..
I have a D-Link DSL-302g modem which has usb and ethernet connectability. I think its a modem and a router but I really don't know.
I also have 3 computers in the house - (1) my new(ish) comp, running xp, (2) hubby's laptop, also running xp, (3) my old comp, now my son's, and running win98.
With the win98 comp I could never get the modem to work by using ethernet cable so assumed the card or whatever was faulty and used usb instead. Then when we got the laptop I discovered I could share files by having my comp connected with the usb and his laptop with the ethernet..all good. Then I got my new comp and again connected with usb simply to reserve the (much longer) ethernet cable for the laptop..still all good.
The problem is to connect the win98 comp to the internet for my son it now needs to connect via ethernet, not usb like it was, so thats where the usb ethernet adapter was meant to be the answer. I know there are probably better ways to connect them all together, but it needs to be done cheaply for now.
I tried it first on the win98 comp, then tried it on mine when it wouldn't work, but no joy there either. I've tried 2 different cables on each comp, both of which work with the laptop.
Device manager says the adapter is working properly..but I'm not sure where to find the event viewer.
Hope this is clear enough..it is 2am here, time for sleep ;)

[Banfa]

Sorry about the reply lag, this thread dropped off the bottom of my list.

The event viewer is located at

Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Event Viewer


Hmmm, so the basically the computer is reporting that the hardware is operational but you get no connection lights when you plug in the cable.

Having read the modem/router (I think it is a modem with connected via USB and a router when connected via Enternet) documentation it appears that it does not do DHCP (automatic assigment of IP address). This means that you need to have set up the IP address setting yourself manually.

Since you hubbys computer is working I suggest you record what his settings are, run a command prompt (Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt) while the computer is connected and run the command

ipconfig /all

Take a copy of the data output (copy it to notepad and print it or write it down). not everything on your computer will be the same, notably it will need a different IP address (probably the easiest thing to do is to add 1 onto the last digit).

Then go to

Control Panel -> Network Connections

Right click your network (Local Area Network) and select "Properties " from the menu.

A box will appear, with various settings, it should say "Connect using" and then your USB adaptor, you can hit the configure button to make sure that it is working correctly and enabled.

In the list you should at least have

Client for Microsoft Networks (probably)
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks (probably)
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

If Internet Protocol is not there you need to install it using the "Install ..." button.

If it is then select it and press "Properties ".

You computer may well be set to obtain "IP address automatically" (you could see if your Hubbys computer is set like this). Select "Use the following IP address" and then type in the details for "IP address", "Subnet mask" and "Default gateway".



Of course if you have already done this, or you get the the properties page and it is already filled in correctly then this doesn't really help.


I have to say if you were a member of my family this would be the point were I would be saying "I think I better come and check it out for myself" so if you have a computer savvy friend then rope them in.

[gibneyt]

Can you ping 127.0.0.1?

[KiwiGenie]

Hi, sorry for taking so long to get back to this. I filled in the details for "IP address", "Subnet mask" and "Default gateway", using hubby's comp settings as a guide, with different last digit in the IP address....stil l no joy.
Sadly I am the "computer savvy" person within my friends/family.....LOL. .
So am thinking now I will take the adapter down to the local computer shop when I get time and see if they can get it to work. I am completely stumped.
I wanted to say thanks for all the help anyway, it was much appreciated.
Cheers.

[PhallaDyck]

Dear sir,

In fact, I have no idea about this question. I am just a young learner of Network, but I have one question. Now I have already signed up to be a member of this community discussion but I don't know how can I post my question to everyone. If anyone can help me please let me know.

[KiwiGenie]

Go to the forum you want to post in, at the top there is an orange button "start a discussion". Click on this and you will get a form to fill in with your question.

[Ruby2]

Hi, I'm not a developer or programmer or techie, just someone who uses 3 computers in my business. I had the same problem at one point. I have basically the same setup and equipment as you (and number of computers, we'll call them Main, Second and Third) After months of frustration I found it was a third-party firewall that continually created problems with my network. So I uninstalled it (and actually never used it again, because it gave me nothing but problems). Then I went back to square one, like this: with all computers on and all (Windows) firewalls off (this was a key thing, to have all the firewalls off), with router and dsl connection on Main, set up and configured Network Connection on Main. Set up and configured Network Connection on Second (my laptop which has its own ethernet card), then plugged in the USB Ethernet adapter into Third, and set up and configured Network Connection. Then turned each computer's firewall back on. And it worked, and has worked ever since. I live in an area where there are occasional problems with the phone lines, so have to reset the router by turning off/on. But that's it. Networks are tricky.

[Bill Williams]

I am trying to connect to the internet using a USB Ethernet adapter. It installs but won't connect to my dsl modem. The ethernet light on the modem doesn't even light up, though the same cable works plugged from the modem to the ethernet port on hubby's laptop. I thought the adapter was all I needed to connect..what am I missing?

Dunno if this applies or not, but you may need an Ethernet crossover cable rather than a straight-through one. It could be that your husband's laptop automatically detects the kind of cable and compensates, while yours doesn't.

[KiwiGenie]

IT WORKS!!!! :) Thank you all so much for the help. I tried shutting down the firewall, that didn't work, though I thought that might be it, it was the cable in the end, I plugged in the crossed over cable and it just worked. My son will be very happy when he gets home from school...we made him do a lot of dishes to get the adapter in the first place, parental guilt has been running kinda high..lol
Thanks again
Jenny