no ethernet adaptor in pc?

it's a DIMENSIONS 8250, on Windows XP

Diane x

ETHERNET is not a standard option in an 8250 but there were versions that had INTEL or 3COM nic.

PCI devices do not properly enumerate before Chipset Drivers are installed. Unless you have a Router you can only have 1 machine on a DSL modem and that machine would have a PPPOE client.  If you change to a DSL Modem/Router then you have to UNISTALL the PPPOE client and use DHCP on each machine with its own cable AND setup the login and password and Dial up number usually #777 for DSL.  Cable modem is less of a problem because it does not have a client but it does require a router if one is not built in and or can only run 1 machine at a time. Some cable companys lock down the modem so that only 1 mac address works on the modem so you would have to do mac address cloning in the router.  None of the above is a Dell support issue its an ISP support issue.  Most ISP charge an install service to setup a network in your home.

Chipset - Driver

Description	Importance	Version	Released	Supported OS	Download
Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility, v.4.01.1001, A06 Adds OS support for the newest Intel Chipsets.	Not Defined	4.01.1001	10/10/2002	Windows 2000 Windows XP Windows 98

Network - Driver

Description	Importance	Version	Released	Supported OS	Download
Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet , v.5.30, A00 NDIS 5.1 Driver	Recommended	5.30	4/29/2003	Windows XP
Intel 10/100 LOM, v.6.1.3.14, A04 Intel PRO/100 Network Drivers	Not Defined	6.1.3.14	3/21/2003	Windows XP Windows 2000

Was it using an old-fashioned dial-up (internal or external) modem when you saw it go on line? Do you see either a phone or ethernet port on the rear of the PC? You should also talk to the seller about how it went on line.  

Is the Netgear software you tried to install for a router or DSL/Cable modem?

If the system doesn't have a NIC card, you could buy an add-in PCI NIC card and use that to connect to a router and/or broadband modem.