Hi. I am a new user here so bare with me. I have a computer using xp and we have a broadband connection but not using ethernet-but usb instead. Our old machine didn`t have ethernet. We now have a new machine and I installed an ethernet card today but still can`t connect with the motorola surfboard modem. All I see in the internet connections area is 1394 connections. Our xp recognized the ethernet card but didn`t configure a driver and I have a disc sent with it but can`t install the drivers from it. I can`t figure out what the problem is. Help! I am at my wits end with this. I was told that this is so very easy. I must be doing something wrong. Thanks in advance for any help I can get.

Such cards should not require drivers for XP.

Also if it is just a USB modem it should just connect to any USB port.

IEEE 1394 are "FireWire" connections.

Are you saying that you want to change over from USB to Ethernet?

Does the USB connection work?

Also what is listed in the Device Manager under Network Adapters?

Right click My Computer then click Manage then click Device Manager then click the "+" next to Network Adapters.

We are currently using the usb for broadband but we would like to change to the ethernet as we would like to create a wireless environment so I can use my laptop. I took the ethernet card in our current machine and installed it in an older machine we have. It installed fine including software which it required. Don`t know why it required the software but the driver is there. On the internet connections, we have 1394 connection and our motorola surfboard. I found out today that our mobo MSI K7N2 has a rj-45 integrated on it. I installed a driver from MSI and checked the device drivers and it seems all is ok. I tried to connect using the rj-45 on the mobo to the surfboard and nothing. Turned machine off and then on and still nothing. I just don`t know what else to do. I just know I am doing something wrong but I can`t figure it out. Thanks again for all you may be able to do for me.

Is your 10/100 Base-T Ethernet/Fast Ethernet listed in the Device Manager under Network Adapters?

Did you remove the add-on card?

Hi. Thanks for answering. The ethernet card is being recognized in the old machine I put it in. I took it out of our newer machine. I downloaded drivers for the rj-45 or ethernet on our MSI motherboard and it is being recognized also by the device manageron the newer machine. It still doesn`t work with our broadband. I know I am missing a step but I cannot figure out what.

Try going to Control Panel -> Internet Options -> Connections tab -> LAN Setting. Make sure that Automatically detect settings is CHECKED. And you should also Restart the Modem by powering it off for 45 sec and turn it on again.

Thanks for the help. I took all the advice from everyone and I will try to connect again tomorrow after I talk to our motherboard mfr. Thanks again.

Hi again. Hooray!! Your suggestions on the settings must have helped. I went into the BIOS on our board and disabled the onboard rj-45 network adapter I guess and installed a fresh NIC and, voila, up she goes. Got right on the internet. No problems. Now to set up the wireless router. Wish me luck. Thanks again!