Ethernet Connection

You have to have a dsl modem that connects to your router. The router acts like a splitter for the network connection and the ethernet cable from the computer connects to the wireless router's ethernet port. Check with your provider to see what your options are. Look at your dsl modem and see if there is also an ethernet port. You would use that instead of the usb and connect the modem to the router. Networking can be hard to set up. Your router's web site will help and your provider's support site might help.

The ethernet port does not need to be enabled, but the ethernet card does need to be enabled in Network Connections. You should not connect that to the modem. It should be connected to the router. Here's the correct setup-- incoming dsl line to Modem is first, modem connects to the modem port on the router (not the computer) and the computer connects to the ethernet port on the router. I'm not sure what you mean by "run the laptop" through the router. You should connect wirelessly. You should be able to use both computers at the same time to connect to the Internet. It sounds like you are connecting each manually to the modem. You cannot have both the ethernet and the usb connection on the modem in use at the same time. You have to use one or the other. Get help from your service provider and your router's web site. It's hard to explain without sitting in front of your computer.

Thanks for your reply. But I think you miss the point of my question.

I am wondering how I can enable the ETHERNET port on the desktop.

The wireless router is fine - it works when I run a laptop through it.

The modem is fine - the USB works with the desktop and the laptop.

What is not active is the ETHERNET connection in the desktop.

Even when I run diagnostics on the ehternet port it says it is working fine.

The problem comes when I try to connect the ethernet port to the modem. The ethernet light on the DSL modem does not "light". It does light when I connect the ethernet cable to the laptop.

Forget the router...that is not the problem, Mary.

If I can get the ethernet connection to work on my desktop, then I can connect the router to facilitate wirless operation of my laptop.

I have tried to connect the desktop to the DSL modem, without the router. The ETHERNET light on the DSL modem does not light. The ethernet connection on the back of the desktop does not flicker as it should i.e. it is dead!

I know the ethernet connection on the router works because I have wired (RUN) other computers through that connection to try it out. In other words the modem's ethernet connection (without the USB connection) works fine when another computer is connected - laptop or other.

The Dell desktop's ethernet connection does not work. When I run the TROUBLESHOOT option provided by the Hardware profiles it shows the connection as working fine (sorry if I do not know the exact terminology). When I try to download any new drivers from the dell site nothing happens, that is why I am here in this forum.