Can't get Windows ME to use dsl

Hi all,

I am trying to switch an old Windows ME computer from dial-up to dsl. I installed an ethernet card (a zonet 10/100mbps fast ethernet adaptor), and I already had an ATT 2-wire router/modem that was already up and running for use on another computer.

After installing the ethernet card I expected to be able to connect without much fuss, but after putting it in and hooking it to the modem/router (the one 2-wire unit functions as both), the computer will still only connect through dial-up.

I went into the Network option on the control panel and went to the TCP/IP properties to specify the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS server search order. I am confident I entered the correct IP/subnet/gateway info since I got them using the ipconfig and netstat applications. The ATT DNS info I found using google. But even after doing all that and restarting the computer, I still can't connect to the internet using anything except dialup.

I am used to XP and not very familiar with ME, and I am really missing XP's network connection wizard where I can just search for available networks and click to connect. ME does not seem to have anything like that. I can't find any way to make it use the dsl connection instead of the dial up connection. I even unplugged the phone line and then tried to get online, hoping that it would bring up a box saying "your connection is unavailable, would you like to see a list of other connections ", or words to that effect, but no.

What am I doing wrong? How can I get this computer to use the dsl connection? Or is this OS simply too old to be compatible?

 

Must you use ME? It's known to be extremely unstable and an overall bad OS. Most would even recommend 98SE over ME (of course, no one would recommend either in this day and age, however).

Unless your router/modem is configured to hand out static IP addresses, you shouldn't be manually specifying them yourself--let the DHCP server assign the ME machine an IP automatically.

 

Did you install the correct LAN card driver ?

If you did, ME should have no problem in running anything over LAN.

Also check whether the DHCP sever is enabled in your router/modem.

 

Trioke: It's my grandmother's computer, and she uses ME because she is "used to it." I'm trying to convince her to buy a new computer, preferably one with XP or windows 7 on it, but alas so far to no avail.

rsinfo: The card driver installed automatically from the cd that came with it. For some reason I can't access the router settings, but it looks like the DHCP server is enabled because the other computer (the one I am using now) running off the same modem/router is working fine.


After adjusting the TCP/IP settings yesterday, the computer automatically dials up now when booting, and when I cancel it it pops up an error message that says "msnappau has caused an error in TBDWNMGR.DLL ". After I close out the error message, it will freeze for a minute and then boot normally. It also now asks for a "network password" (there is none) while booting, which it has never done before.

So, I undid all the changes I had made to the TCP/IP settings. Now it still asks for a "network password ", but the DLL error message and auto-dialing have stopped.

After doing all that, now when I click on the IE icon to get online, instead of dialing up it loads the offline version of the homepage and then brings up a message saying "The web page you requested is not available offline. To view this page, click connect ". Clicking connect brings up the dial up connection.

 

Update: I convinced her to buy a new computer. The old ME one is now serving as a paperweight in the basement. Problem resolved.