Install the network card but don't connect it up to anything then install the Firewall.  That way the firewall will know there  is a card and when it becomes active should automatically cover it.

 

Ron

RKinner

 

The network card installation instructions provide details for what is essentially a three-step process:

 

1.  Physically insert the card, i. e. open up the computer, find a PCI slot, and insert the card into the slot.

 

2.  Connect the card to the network:  "Connect one end of an Ethernet cable to your PC at the 10/100 LAN Card's RJ-45 port.  Plug the other end of the cable into an open port on your hub, switch,  DSL modem, cable modem, or router."

 

3.  Install the network card's drivers using the CD included with the network card.

 

You suggested "Install the network card but don't connect it up to anything then install the Firewall."

 

Would you suggest installing the firewall after step 1, after step 2, or after step 3 above?

 

By the way, I just spoke with a technical representative at Panda and he agrees with you that the firewall should be installed after the network card so that the firewall will recognize the network card.

 

Thanks.

 

 

I think you can skip step 2.  The PC shouldn't really care if the card is connected when it installs the drivers.  I sort of doubt that Win98 even knows whether the cable is plugged in or not. 

 

Ron

RKinner

 

Thanks.

 

So in this order I will:

 

1.  Physically insert the network card.

 

2.  Install the network card drivers.

 

3.  Install the firewall.

 

4.  Connect the network card to a hub, switch, DSL modem cable modem, or router with an Ethernet cable.

 

I am curious why you suggest not connecting the network card to anything until after the firewall is installed.  Is that suggestion a security precaution?  Are you concerned that if the Ethernet card is connected to the internet BEFORE the firewall is installed and working that the computer will be exposed to attacks from the internet?

 

Thanks.

"I am curious why you suggest not connecting the network card to anything until after the firewall is installed.  Is that suggestion a security precaution?  Are you concerned that if the Ethernet card is connected to the internet BEFORE the firewall is installed and working that the computer will be exposed to attacks from the internet?"

 

Yes, It's a jungle out there and you are running software that is no longer supported so any security holes in it  are not patched.  Once you connect up your firewall and get on the internet you will see (if your firewall alerts you to attacks from the outside) how pften attempts are made to compromise your PC.

 

Ron

RKinner

 

Yes, I have been somewhat concerned about security ever since Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 98se and providing critical updates, but I have not had the confidence to try installing Windows XP on my old computer (nor am I sure that it has the horsepower to handle Windows XP)and have not wanted to buy a new one until Windows Vista became available, widely used, and thoroughly debugged.

 

I will now spend a little time comparing the offerings of broadband providers.

 

Thanks for all your help.

 

One suggestion, before you add to much software to this installation.  Activate the Windows Firewall which is more than adequate for going online to get your updates, etc.

 

Have a solidly working machine with all the current patches then add third party software.

Don't think he has a Windows Firewall.  We are talking Win98 SE here.

 

Ron

Missed that in the Sig Line.  He has no choice but to install it and then UPGRADE TO XP!!

RKinner

 

Here are the results of my attempt to install the new network card.

 

After successfully inserting the card into an empty PCI slot and rebooting, the "Add New Hardware Wizard" appeared.  I followed the instructions on the Linksys website for installing the NIC's drivers, but could not find the drivers and aborted the installation.  After that everything worked normally.

 

I then noticed that the CD that came with the NIC included a simplified setup tool.  Clicking on the link to the tool started the installation, but again the drivers were not found and I aborted the installation.  I was then unable to connect to the Internet with my dial-up connection.

 

Upon rebooting my computer I got several error messages indicating that vnetsup.vxd, vredir.vxd, and dfs.vxd were missing and that the dynamic link library could not load because the file msnp32.dll could not be found.

 

I removed the NIC from the computer and used the uninstall feature on the CD that came with the NIC.  Those actions eliminated the error messages regarding vredir.vxd and msnp32.dll, but not those regarding vnetsup.vxd and dfs.vxd.

 

Then I found a procedure on the Dell Dimension Resource CD that specifically addressed this problem.  The fix was to remove the dial-up adapter from the network and reinstall it from the Windows 98se CD.  After doing this all error messages were gone, but I could still not connect to the Internet.

 

I had several conversations with Earthlink to check my connection settings.  We "pinged" google at www.google and at 216.239.57.99.  The former failed and the latter was successful.  Earthlink, Dell, and Linksys suggested reinstalling Windows 98se.

 

During all of this activity I had kept my antivirus software off.  Before reinstalling Windows I decided to scan my computer to see if maybe the problem was a virus.  When I open the antivirus software it indicated that protection was low and suggested that I "reinstall communications library" and provided a button to click on to accomplish this.   I clicked on the button, rebooted, and was able to connect to the Internet.  Everything works as it did before I tried to intall the NIC.

 

No question here, just thought you might find this odyssey interesting.

 

Thanks again for your help.

" We "pinged" google at www.google and at 216.239.57.99.  The former failed and the latter was successful."

 

Can't say I think too much of your Earthlink help.  This is just a case of DNS not working.  You'd think they would know how to fix that by setting a static DNS IP address.

 

Glad you are back in business tho.

 

Ron

You can use use any valid DNS as a refernce point, either your ISP's or Google, or Dell.

jmwills

 

That's good to know.

 

Thanks.

RKinner

 

I am also glad to be back in business.

 

The multiple instructions for this product (printed in the box, on the Linksys website, and on the Linksys CD) are all slightly, but perhaps importantly, different from each other.  I will reread them all again and perhaps try the installation again.  Or maybe not.

I have seen several cases where a router was not doing its DNS job well  (Normally a PC will use the router as its DNS server.)  and in each case the solution was to change the PC so that it used the same DNS server that the router was supposed to use.

 

On a 98 you use a program called winipcfg

 

  http://compnetworking.about.com/od/windowsnetworking/l/aa080602a.htm

 

Except you will need to click on More Info to see the DNS server. 

 

It's been a while since I worked on a 98 but I found these instructions for putting in a Static DNS server address.

 

"Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, Network, highlight the instance of TCP/IP bound to (associated with) the network adapter connecting (to the router), Properties, DNS Configuration tab, select enable DNS, enter the primary DNS server’s IP address in the box below DNS DNS Server Search Order, and click Add. Repeat for the secondary DNS server. Click OK and restart Windows when prompted."

 

You can use the same addresses that the router uses for DNS.  It should tell you which it is using.  Just put its address (will be the default gateway you see in winipcfg after you connect to it - usually 192.168.0.1 or maybe 192.168.1.1) in the Address window on Internet Explorer and it should let you in using the default password that you should find in the instructions.

 

Ron