Help with Internet Connection!?

[PrettyP]

HELP! My Family is currently using Wireless Internet. The Internet is provided by an Antenna that's installed at the roof of our house. We live far from the City, so this is our only option for good Internet. Anyway, a Customer Rep. from the Company told Me that I'd have to purchase a router in order for the Connection to be shared on other Computers. So, I did. I also purchased USB Wireless Routers for the other Computers. Everything worked fine until recently. Every time I plug in the Router, the Main Computer gives Me an "Ethernet Cable is not Connection" message even though it is. When I unplug the Ethernet Cable that came with the Router and use the Cable My ISP put that gives the Main Computer the Internet Connection, everything works fine. Any ideas on what I need to do? Could the error have happened because I hit renew IP once on the other Computer? I've tried calling the ISP, but that's of no help. Also, I'd like to add that the Router that I've installed on the Main Computer lights up even though I am given a "Cable is Not Connected" error. Thanks for your time and help!

[Dean]

Okay, first for clarification, I assume that you bought a wireless router for the "Main computer" and USB wireless ADAPTERS for the other computers. (If you have a wireless router for each computer you have a different issue!)

Next, I take it that your system has a cable that comes from the antenna and connects to a box with lights on it!? (Your modem.)
From there you have a cable that plugs into your router and then a cable from the router to your "Main computer". Correct so far?

So, since I can't draw this, we have
Antenna - cable - Modem - cable - router - cable - Main Computer.

Now when you say it works fine when use the cable your "My ISP put that gives the Main Computer the Internet Connection" are you saying that you took the cable that goes from the modem to the router, unplugged it from the router and plugged it into the computer that now your computer has internet connection? If so, that would make sense as you are connected straight to the modem now. However, the rest of your computers would not have connection as the router does not have network access now.

You mentioned " Every time I plug in the Router". Why are you unplugging the router in the first place? This should just stay turned on.

When you have the system running as you mentioned, and your Main computer is getting this cable connection error message, are the rest of your computers able to connect to the internet?

If so, Then it is possible that your Main computer has lost its nic drivers.

Click Start, Right click on Computer and then click Manage.
When that comes up, click on Device Manager
Check to see but it sounds like you are going to have a yellow warning icon here by Network Adapters.
If that is the case, double click on the noted service and select the Drives tab to update the drivers.

If that does not solve it post what has happened and if any of the above helped.

We could go on but this may be a good start if nothing this far helped.

D