Cannot Connect To The Internet? Hi, I recently installed Windows XP Proffessional and I want to

Question

Hi, I recently installed Windows XP Proffessional and I want to use the internet, only problem is I can't. We have Qwest as our provider. I have an Ethernet cable that I want to use but when I follow the Qwest installation disc and it tries to detect the modem, it can't. I have the Ethernet cable connected to both the modem and my computer and the Ethernet light is solid green along with all the other lights being solid green like they're supposed to be. My parents computer is connected with the USB. What must I do to get the internet on my comp?

Answer 1

Most service providers only allows on connection per modem so just it has more than one way to connect to it doesn't mean that both computers can be connected to it at the same time.  This is because your ISP (Qwest) has only given you one public IP address for that modem.  

The best solution is to get a wireless router (I use Linksys Broadband router) and connect it to your modem and connect your computers to the router. What the router does is it separates your home network and internet. Instead of one computer having the public ip address that address will be given to the router.  The router has functionalities called DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) and PAT (Port Address Translation) or NAT (Network Address Translation).  DHCP will lease all of your devices on your network a private IP address most commonly starting with 192.168.*.*.  With this setting you don't have to worry about configuring your computers with IP address.

What PAT does is it allows all of your devices to use the same public IP address simultaneously by adding port numbers to your IP address in outgoing traffic and inbound traffic.

I know this a lot but to put it simply just get a Cable/DSL router.