Computer Networking Issues!?

Recently my older brother changed the household network to a DNS (whatever that is). This screwed with all the connections.





So my dad got his computer working fine (that's what I'm on now), and told me how to connect mine. My computer (which is running Windows 98) is connected to the internet -- I know that because my instant messenger is working, and I've chatted with friends.





However, __no program other than the messenger (Trillian Basic 3) can connect to the internet__. I've tried multiple programs, to no avail, including Firefox, Internet Explorer, and AVG.





What do I need to do in order to get my other programs connected?





******


So far, since the network switch, all I have done is gone to Control Panel --%26gt; Network


Highlighted "TCP/IP -%26gt; Realtek RTL8029(AS) PCI Ethernet NIC", and clicked "Properties", then specified an IP Address / Subnet Mask to use for the connection. I also installed a gateway.





Thanks so much, I have no clue what I'm doing when it comes to networking.

Computer Networking Issues!?
Turn off your firewall. Check to see if that fixes the problem after a prompt reboot. If it does, awesome. I'd leave it like that until you figure out how to open ports in your firewall for specific programs.
Reply:I agree with your last statement.





Your brother didn't change your network to a DNS, because a DNS is a Domain Name Server . . . not a type of network.





Assuming you brother set the network up with "static" IP addressing, in your TCP/IP settings you would likely have an IP address that begins with 192.168.0 or 192.168.1. Your subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0. Check your father's computer and see what his settings are. The first three octets (the groups of numbers separated by the periods are called octets) for your IP address needs to be the same as your father's, but the last one must be different, and don't use a "1". That's likely the IP address of the gateway, which you should also see in your father's settings. The most likely reason your browser isn't working is the DNS server numbers. These will also be visible in your dad's TCP/IP settings. You want yours to be the same. That's the setup for static addressing.





In most cases home networks are set up using "dynamic" IP addressing, which means you have a device functioning as a DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) server. If your dad's settings say something like "Get an address automatically" instead of showing the groups of octects, you need to set yours up the same way.





Once again, from what you describe, your IP address is probably right, as is your subnet and gateway. But if the DNS server IP addresses are wrong, your browser won't work.