Ron writes in with a networking question
Q. Where is the Ethernet controller and how can I troubleshoot it? My modem is a Speedstream 6520 and my ISP's help desk isn't so helpful so I am trying to fix this myself. Any assistance you could give would be greatly appreciated.
A. Many times ISPs will blame the problem on your network card when they don't know the answer. Your Ethernet port is the port where your network cable from your modem or DSL router plugs into your computer. You can go to your network connections by right clicking My Network Places and clicking on Properties or just click the icon itself depending on what XP start menu you are using. From there find the icon that most likely says Local Area Connection and double click it. From there you will see an activity section and should have numbers under Packets sent and received. You can also click the support tab and make sure you have a valid IP address and not one that says 0.0.0.0 or 169.254.x.x. If you have a valid IP address and are getting packets sent and received then your network/Ethernet card is working properly.
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