[MarkL]

If the cable company has determined that the cable modem is OK, and your computers can connect directly to the Internet through the cable modem, then the problem could be with your router, or the connection between the router and the cable modem.

First off, what lights are lit up on the cable modem and on the Linksys router.

Something you might want to try is making sure that all the cables are plugged in where they need to be. If you're using wireless, don't until you get the connection to the Internet going. It just adds more complexity to solving your problem. So until you get the connection to the Internet fixed, try to use only a wired connection.

For the troubleshooting, first determine if any workstations are able to "talk" to the router itself. Start by shutting down all the computers. Then boot one, and only one computer. Once it's running (assuming that it's a Windows computer) determine the IP address and the default gateway. On Windows, click on the button, go to RUN and type "CMD" (without the quotes) and hit enter. This will open a black command prompt screen. Type in "IPCONFIG" (without the quotes) and hit the enter key. Make a note of the IP Address and the Default Gateway. On a Linksys router, it should be something like 192.168.1.x, where the "x" is some number. The default gateway should be 192.168.1.1.

If the IP Address starts with the number 169, that means that your computer isn't able to get an IP address from the router.

Next, type in "ping 192.168.1.1" what you're looking for are four "reply from 192.168.1.1" lines. If you get "Request timed out" messages, this means that your computer is not able to talk to the Linksys router.

If you can communicate with the Linksys, we need to investigate the connection between the Linksys and your cable modem.

Let me know what happens at this point.

Thanks!

Mark

[ThePythonicCow]

what lights are lit up on the cable modem and on the Linksys router.

That could be it too, good point. She might have cables that are or are not cross wired, and perhaps her new router is not auto-sensing the wiring of the ethernet cable. In which case, no link level, no lights, no nothing.

I sense that I am a long way from translating the above into something useful, however.

[MHGinTN]

Bookmarking great directions! ... I use linksys and have for two computers over two years now. Never had a problem when the cable was sending signal. But you never know ...

[TheMom]

Pinging Eaker to post 60, cause what MarkL just said was Greek.