newbie network test

[Gracie]

hello oh wonderful ones, Gracie here.

I have a P4, windows ME system here, which I have just put a network card in and would like to test it all works without hooking it up to our local area network, just let it access the router and get broadband direct . Is that possible?  

I have made sure tcp/ip is bound to the card, don't want to activate print and file sharing - I just want to access the net via broadband to  ensure that  it can before I return it.

I assume I will have to tell it the routers address, is that all?

thank you

[Buffalo2102]

Hi Gracie.

It depends on your router.  Most routers have their own DHCP server built-in. If this is the case with yours, you just have to set TCP/IP on the PC to obtain an IP address automatically.  Then tell Windows ME Internet Explorer that you connect via LAN.

[Gracie]

oh, right, I will try that... I thought I should tell the  win me machine the IP address of the router, but  can't remember how to find it.  

I will see what happens if I try to go on the net - the router  hasn't lit up the extra lights for that port yet, so I am not hopeful, but its all a learning experience int it. :)

[Gracie]

well, coo! it seems to be  on the net! Thankyou Buffalo x :)

[Whizbang]

My router was just plug-and-play.  I was almost looking over my shoulder to see what I had done that I did not know that I did.  :P  I would skip the networking card completely because it is just an added piece that is unnecessary.  As stated by Buffalo, the router has its internal networking connection system.

[Gracie]

oh dear, I replied too quickly - I thought it was on the web as Google came up and appeared to be 'live', but it wasn't. Silly me

It is late now and I must go to bed. Tomorrow I will try pinging it as 192.168.1.3 or 4  and see what happens.

I ran the xp disk on it to give it the  same config as the others, I have put in a gateway address (...1.1),  TCP/IP is  the protocol. Client  for MS networks is on. It can see itself in  my network places but nowt else - which is ok as I don't need to get it on the lan, just to access the broadband. I thought I might need to give it  the routers 'outside' IP address, the one that gets renewed, but I don't know how to do that.

What else must I do? It is just to get it to access the net via BB, so I can update the spy utils quickly and  see that it is doing what it is supposed to do.

There isn't a logon screen I noticed. Is that right? Shouldn't it show one so that I can log on to the network??

night night folk