cannot get online after loading xp - missing drivers; wrong order?

i just loaded xp to my stepson's old dell dimension 8300. i came to the dell.com site to get the necessary drivers. got what i thought to be the correct ones. still cannot get online. still seeing "?" for "other devices" for ethernet, multimedia and a couple others. this occurred a few years ago, last time the hard drive went (gee, they don't last very long, do they?) but i'll be if i recall what i did. i know i had a hard time then, too, but i also invested a lot of time i do not have now. help!!!!!!!