Connection issues

Hi everyone, I just picked up a mouse, and immediately I've run into another issue.

It’s about getting internet access. It's been a while since I used a desktop, so I'm a bit rusty on how to get this thing online. On laptops, it's easy—you just find the network and enter the password. For a desktop, do I need to buy an Ethernet cable? If so, can someone post a picture of what one looks like? I'm heading out to the store later today, so I want to make sure I know exactly what to ask for. Also, I remember seeing a USB device plugged into this computer before; do I need a specific type of adapter or just a standard USB? I have a router at home that currently has two laptops connected to it.

(If anyone could share a video, that would be great, thanks 😉 )

PS: Just to clear up any confusion, I have a TP-Link router. The laptops aren't plugged into it; they're using Wi-Fi. I'm trying to figure out how to connect the desktop because I assume it can't just pick up wireless signals without some kind of extra hardware or connection.

First things first, how far away is the router from the PC? Any physical walls or junk blocking the line of sight...

William Richardson12 said:First things first, how far away is the router from the PC? Any physical walls or junk blocking the line of sight...

They’re literally 10 cm apart—basically nothing—and the only thing in the way is my PC case, so there aren't any actual obstructions.

The issue is I have absolutely no clue where to plug anything in, what kind of cable I actually need, or if I should be buying multiple cables. 🙂

Grab an Ethernet cable—it should've come in the box with your router. Plug one end into the LAN port on the back of your PC (usually near the USB slots) and the other into one of the four LAN ports on the router. Just check if you've actually got all those ports available...

William Richardson12 said:Grab an Ethernet cable—it should've come in the box with your router. Plug one end into the LAN port on the back of your PC (usually near the USB slots) and the other into one of the four LAN ports on the router. Just check if you've actually got all those ports available...

I honestly have no clue, man. I don't understand any of this. If you have a video tutorial you could send me, that would be huge. I just got off the phone with AT&T and they wouldn't help me unless I brought the hardware in for repair, which I can't do right now... I'm stuck.

Just slot it into the designated opening on both the chassis and the router

If you have the manual for the router handy, everything should be laid out there for you

Kimberly Gomez34 said:

Just slot it into the designated opening on both the chassis and the router

If you have the manual for the router handy, everything should be laid out there for you

Thanks a lot, but which port am I supposed to use? Here’s what I’m looking at: 😵

Port one: DSL
Port two: LAN 4
Port three: LAN 3
Port four: LAN 2
Port five: LAN 1
And then there's the power button and that phone button next to it, but that doesn't matter.

I don't have the instructions; the people over at AT&T are totally screwing me over.

Man, please help me out here, for God's sake.🙏

Try one of the LAN ports (though you probably mean the internet connection). Go ahead and test it out; nothing is going to blow up if you plug it into the wrong one

The DSL uses that standard phone jack style

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Try one of the LAN ports (though you probably mean the internet connection). Go ahead and test it out; nothing is going to blow up if you plug it into the wrong one

The DSL uses that standard phone jack style

Should I be seeing some kind of reaction? I'm already testing it out by clicking the internet icon, but nothing comes up—it doesn't even prompt me to search for connections. Everything works perfectly fine on my laptop, though. It just won't say "Internet"; it just lists LAN 4, LAN 3, and so on... 🤦

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Try one of the LAN ports (though you probably mean the internet connection). Go ahead and test it out; nothing is going to blow up if you plug it into the wrong one

The DSL uses that standard phone jack style

(image)
This is my router; it's identical (this is just a Google image)

I've been messing with this for four days now. I need help!

I didn't quite follow what you meant regarding the symbol. In my experience, if the network was already configured properly—meaning you aren't dealing with a brand-new router or anything like that—everything should just click into place once you connect it all up.

You'll end up seeing a symbol like this:



EDIT

To post an image, you first need to upload it somewhere, like Imgur. From there, you can just paste one of the links they provide (if it's a file from your hard drive); if you're just using an image from the web, simply grab its direct URL and drop it here.

Alternatively, just tell me the specific model number of your router. You can usually find it printed on the label on the back or underneath the device.

Kimberly Gomez34 said:I didn't quite follow what you meant regarding the symbol. In my experience, if the network was already configured properly—meaning you aren't dealing with a brand-new router or anything like that—everything should just click into place once you connect it all up.

You'll end up seeing a symbol like this:



EDIT

To post an image, you first need to upload it somewhere, like Imgur. From there, you can just paste one of the links they provide (if it's a file from your hard drive); if you're just using an image from the web, simply grab its direct URL and drop it here.

Alternatively, just tell me the specific model number of your router. You can usually find it printed on the label on the back or underneath the device.

I know that’s how it’s supposed to work, but my settings are grayed out and I don't have any option to change anything. I already renamed the router to JeetSpeed IAD WP3 and tried power cycling it a dozen times, but nothing. It makes no sense because I followed every step perfectly. I’ve tested all the connection methods—the cable light is on and my laptop has internet, but the rest of the house is dead. I searched through the options to fix it, but there's nothing there. Who am I even supposed to call? The idiots over at AT&T can barely follow a simple conversation, let alone fix a technical issue; they just mess around and waste everyone's time. I was thinking about buying a USB dongle—I saw one online for about five bucks that’s supposedly for "locating routers" or something similar, but I'm not sure if it'll actually work. Anyway, thanks a ton for the help. My only move left tomorrow is calling the local technician in my neighborhood; he's usually the only one who actually gets things sorted.

I haven't even heard of that company before.

Basically, if that icon has an 'X' through it but your laptop is working fine via Wi-Fi, it means you actually have internet access. The issue is likely just a loose cable or some specific network settings on your desktop PC.

Does that router have any phone jacks on it? Also, what exactly is inside that splitter—that little plastic box?

Start by plugging the cable directly into your laptop. If that works, you'll need to jump into the Control Panel under networking to make sure the LAN (ethernet) connection is actually enabled.

Did you actually install the network card drivers?