Oh help me please! I need my internet!

Ok, this is probably going to be long but I just want to make sure that I give all the needed information.

 

I recently had to replace my hard drive so of course this means I needed to reinstall all the drivers. I was able to reinstall XP on my own but when it came to the drivers I've been having problem after problem. The tech I talked to sent me the Dell Resource CD and when I went to install the drivers from it my computer was not listed under the System tab which I assume once you select it shows you which drivers, applications, etc. you need for your specific computer. I have a Dimension 8400 by the way. The highest it listed was a 5100. I don't know if the absence of the 8400 from this list is abnormal or not but it has left me with having to look off of my invoice and basically guess which ones are for my computer. Even the tech I talked to didn't know what was going on and was supposed to have someone call me the next day, but of course no one did.

 

I think I have gotten everything except for the internet. I installed the drivers in the order they were recommended and I have sound, I can watch movies and things like that, but I can't get on the internet, which, by the way, is Cable provided by Charter pipeline. I went to the Device manager and it says that the Ethernet Controller is not installed. While I was reinstalling the drivers I went to the network drivers and installed the Intel Pro 1000 Integrated  PCI NIC card, which is listed on my invoice. I have done this multiple times and still my network card is supposedly not installed. The techs at dell were supposed to call me back but have failed to do so 2 days in a row and as it is a policy that the people who put the hardware in for you can't work with software I have basically been on my own.

 

I don't know what I have done or not done. I have been even thinking about calling some local computer company and paying for someone to help me even though my computer is still under warranty. I am a student and am going back to school in about a week and I desperately need my computer and the internet for school work. Please help! I would greatly appreciate it.