h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have a DSL broadband connection to the Internet. Great. I have a router which enables me to have several devices share that connection. Everything has been fine with a single PC and a Sega Dreamcast sharing that connection.

I've been away from H2G2 because I've been fighting for a full week now the process of getting a second PC to access the Net.

My ISP doesn't have a problem with multiple systems using the connection. I had no problem adding the Dreamcast - the Dreamcast and my original PC were able to use the connection simultaneously with no problem.

I have now spent seven days attempting to get the 2nd PC to see the Internet, and it's beginning to p**s me off. This being the Guide, I suddenly thought that it wouldn't be a bad thing to post my problem here. Perhaps someone will read this and think "I had that same problem!!" and reply with useful suggestions.

By all appearances, the router (an SMC Barricade 4-port router) is not configured to restrict the new computer's access in any way. File- and printer-sharing are not a problem. The PC can ping the router, winipcfg.exe sees the router. I can NOT ping beyond the router, and I can not access the router's configuraton IP from the new PC with either IE or Netscape (both configured as instructed).

If anyone has ANY thoughts or suggestions that may help me get beyond this very frustrating problem, I would be eternally grateful. Or at least for several months.

You see, until I solve this problem and get the new PC online, I simply will not have time to do my duty as a Researcher!!! I've been urged to work on an entry for Worcester, but presently I'm spending almost all my free time trying to get that new computer online!!!!!!

So, my apologies to any who would like to see the Worcester entry get started. It WILL get started, but I am a Taurus, born in the year of the Monkey, and I will NOT rest fully until I have the new computer ONLINE!!!!

Thanks in advance for ANY AND ALL useful comments!!!

-Dent