How do You connect a Laptop Computer to Cable Internet?

[HumbleFish]

Hi All,

My wife just purchased a laptop for my son and he's having problems getting it hooked up to cable internet... Could you please give us a outline software and hardware we need to accomplish this?... Below is the url to the laptop my wife purchased for my son that lists all the features that it has:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834115313

Thanks for the Help, and Love You,
HumbleFish

 

[stevty2889]

Well you'll have to give us some more information first..do you have more than 1 pc, and you are trying to share the internet connection with this one as well, or are you trying to just connect this one directly to the cable internet?

 

[Cdubneeddeal]

First off you could just connect it to the modem, or second you need to buy a router whether its wired or wireless.

 

[HumbleFish]

Hi stevty, and Cdubneeddeal, and thanks.

Not actually sure what he has; he's in Iowa and I'm at home... I'm pretty sure it's just one computer and I don't think they have a router... I think they have a cable modem because his Aunt's Laptop was hooked up to cable there that she since took with her to somewhere else; unless the modem went with her and her laptop?

I think what we need is just the basic cable hookup with a cable modem.

Also, would you happen to know what the cable is called that hooks the laptop to the cable modem?... And what the port on the laptop would be called that it plugs into?

And do you need some kind of software to dial into cable like you do with 56k?

 

[stevty2889]

Ethernet port. If it's the only computer, and the cable internet is alreayd set up, all he has to do is plug the cable modem in to the ethernet port on the laptop.

 

[HumbleFish]

stevty2889,

Would the etherenet port be labled that on the laptop, or could it be called by another name?... I was looking through the specs on the laptop and I didn't see a ethernet port listed?

Here's the specs here at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834115313 .

 

[WookE]

The last few people I know with this issue fixed it by rebuilding the TCP/IP stack.

If your laptop is setup for dialup and or has a bridged TCP/IP simply delete it and create again.

Cable from wall to cable modem. Cable from modem to laptop. Click IE and go.
All the settings should be dynamic and default as the only necessary thing besides and browser and the connection to go online is the TCP/IP. Also make sure all the lights turn green on the cable modem save for rx/tx.

To remove/replace the TCP/IP click start>control panel>network and dial up connections > properties and you will see the TCP/IP.

The ethernet port is the 8 pin phoneplug on the back of the laptop. The port is found under specifications as:

Communication Modem, "LAN and WLAN"

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: HumbleFish
stevty2889,

Would the etherenet port be labled that on the laptop, or could it be called by another name?... I was looking through the specs on the laptop and I didn't see a ethernet port listed?

Here's the specs here at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834115313 .

the ethernet jack looks like a phone jack except its a little bigger.

 

[corkyg]

Look on the back view - there are two T shaped ports - the small one is for a phone jack and the larger for a CAT 5 Ethernet cable. That would go to your cable modem or router.

Ethernet Port

 

[DetroitSportsFan]

Assuming that we've already identified the ethernet port on the laptop, and you've passed on what some of the others have said about getting the cable modem and laptop to "talk," ..... there is one very important thing to remember.

If that cable modem has been left on and you go to hook up that laptop, it will likely need to be powered down for about 30 seconds (disconnect the power) to "sync" the new mac address with the modem. Otherwise, the modem won't allow the connection.

Also

Some cable companies have taken extra steps to make sure only their own subscribers can connect to their network. You may want to look into whether or not your cable company is PPPOE or requires some other type of "authentication" software.

However, the laptop itself with the phone modem, wired nic, and wireless internet already comes with all the hardware for making this work ... with the exception of cabling or a router, etc. Oh, and windows XP already has the software built in for using a wireless connection. Its called "zero configuration script" and can be found in Control panel/Administrative tools/ services. If he's trying to run wireless ... knowing where that can be found can prove to be useful.

 

[Looney]

Tell him to give his ISP a call. They should be able to help him with this.

 

[orion23]

The name of the cable is CAT5. It looks just like a regular telephone wire, except that it is twice as thick. The connector is right next to the 56K phone connector. It's the bigger one. PICPIC

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: orion23
The name of the cable is CAT5. It looks just like a regular telephone wire, except that it is twice as thick. The connector is right next to the 56K phone connector. It's the bigger one. PICPIC

I said all that 3 notes ago.

 

[tuteja1986]

MODEM > WIFI ROUTER with DHCP SERVER > LAPTOP WITH WIFI CARD :!