Hi,

Im not very good with computer technical stuff so hope someone understands this post and can reply in laymans terms!
Ive inherited a packard bell pc - an old model 24 with windows 95 on it.
my last pc was just as old but when i plugged that machine into my modem it worked on the internet straight away.
This new pc I have doesnt work at all on the net, the cable (ethernet) ive got plugged in is not at fault as ive tried it with other pcs in the house today and its working fine. This new pc has never been used on the internet before so am i missing some software? ive not got the install cd that came with the modem (my mum threw it out!) so if i obtain a copy of that would that fix the problem? ive installed the cd that came with AOL to set up the internet with them but still no joy, the modem is a Netgear D834G Model, there are 3 other pcs linked up to it and all their port lights are flashing as normal, the port where my pc is plugged in is not lit at all - its like the modem is sending no signal to my pc or maybe the pc isnt communicating with the modem? Ive no idea how to begin fixing this problem, ive entered all the settings like the IP address etc into the right places as per the Netgear instructions on their site but still no joy.
Does anyone know what im doing wrong?
Many thanks

(a very frustrated!) Fiona

bit of extra information - i dont think i have an ethernet adapter in my pc - ive looked in network and it tells me ive got a couple of dial up adaptors but nothing to do with ethernet - could this have something to do with it?
The pc is so old it doesnt have a port at the back for an ethernet cable to slot in, just a little port for a phone connection (for dial up internet I assume) so im using a little usb ethernet adaptor thing, it worked with my previous machine and ive checked it on another pc and its working fine, im starting to think its some hardware i need to have installed in my pc to make it broadband ready - or i could just be talking nonsense! lol please somebody help!

Well if you don't have an Ethernet port, then you'll not be able to connect an Ethernet cable twixt PC and router/ADSL modem.

You need a Network Adaptor to connect an Ethernet cable. Try checking in My Computer > Hardware for ports and adaptors.

Also, is your computer model listed here?
http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/pb/faq/model.htm

I can connect the ethernet cable between modem and pc using a usb adaptor that works with all the other pcs ive used it with, it just doesnt work with this pc which makes me think theres something missing either in software or hardware on this pc, any ideas?

You may well be able to plug the cable into various holes but if you don't have a Network Adaptor on your computer, then it lacks the capability to talk to the modem. As all your other computers are working, then the Netgear modem is fine.

Equally, a lot of new computers, come with the software installed to run common peripherals such as modems but if you're running something 10 years ol, then the chances of having drivers to run the modem on that PC are virtually nil.

Do you have the instructions for the modem still?

I would be surprised if the pc didn't have a network port. Do you find a CD-ROM for the modem? If so, then disconnect the modem, re-boot the pc, put the disc in the pc, then connect the modem. If you can get another disc for the modem that will likely solve your problem.

I suspect that you don't have the software on the PC to run the modem, therefore your computer doesn't know the modem is connected. I'm also not sure if the modem supports Windows 95. I've searched on Google for drivers and you download one from here:

http://members.driverguide.com/drive...riverid=139037

Save it onto another computer, and then if you have a USB memory stick, copy it on to your Packard-Bell. If you don't have the means to copy the driver from one PC to another, report that back here.

Go to this link http://www.netgear.co.uk/pdfs/dg834g.pdf for the instructions for your modem.

Then re-connect the modem to your PC and double click the driver to install the modem software.

Please let me know if you're still having problems or there's anything here you don't understand.

well i downloaded the driver onto the pc, saved it to a memory stick, went to my new pc and inserted it and was told 'unknown device, please insert driver!'
so i cant even insert a usb memory stick without a driver! i feel like chucking the thing out of the window!

Ah, well now you need a driver for the USB stick. On top of which, I very much doubt if such an old PC has anything other than USB1.0, so make sure your memory stick is USB1.0 compatible ?(in my experience, a USB2.0 device wil work in USB1.0 or 1.1 port.

So the next question is, do you have a CD-ROM for the USB stick? If not, then a search for a driver for the USB stick will be necessary.

Basically, go to www.google.co.uk and search for driver, plus whatever the name/model of your memory stick is.

Alternatively, search in the same place from where you downloaded the modem software.

ive been told by a friend i can just upgrade to xp home and this will allow me to insert my usb memory stick without a driver is this correct? I dont want to waste money upgrading to xp if it wont solve the problem...

XP will just 'plug'n'play' therefore it will almost certainly find the modem, when you connect.

However you need to check the hardware spec of that PC. If it's 10 years old, then it may be a 486 processor. If it's only got a small amount of memory, i.e. 4MB of RAM and a small hard disc drive, i.e. 2GB, then XP will struggle to run.

It would be better to look around for a second hand laptop for £50, with 128MB of RAM, a 40GB hard disc drive and XP already installed, than try to put XP on such a low spec machine.

It's years since I ran Windows 95 so I can't recall exactly how to determine what your machine is configured, so try the following:

> Click Start
> Right-click my computer
> Click properties

Then report back here, what your machine has for the following:

System software (should be Windows95)
CPU, which will probably be Intel something and a number with either MHz or if you're lucky GHz after the number
RAM, which will almost certainly be a number followed by MB

Then we can determine if it's possible to run XP.