I just recently had a crash on my computer, and I had to reformat and reinstall Windows. Now I have problems getting online with my broadband. It says that it cannot locate the modem. I called the broadband service, and they tested the line, and got connected to the modem. So the problem is probably on my computer. I thought that it might be my ethernet controller that is not working. And I looked in the Control Panel/System/hardware/Units and figured that there was a question mark in front of the ethernet icon, suggesting that it is not working. So I figured that I needed to install the driver. I went to Packard Bell's web site, located my computer, and installed the belonging driver. I tried to install it, but still it is not working. Have I used the wrong driver? How do I figure out which driver to use/which ethernet controller I have? I used a programme to locate the hardware on the PC, but I couldn't find the ethernet. How do I solve this? Am I going the right direction concerning the broadband. Is there any other reason why I don't find the modem?

there are two different ways you can normally connect via broadband either A. Ethernet or B. USB If you are connected USB then you need to install the driver for your usb modem which should be on the cd provided with the broadband modem/router If you are connected via ethernet normally all you need to do is install the proper drivers for your NIC (which should also be on a CD that came with your computer) and if there is no advanced setup to your network (static (set) IP's) then normally your modem will pass the IP from the ISP directly to your machine From the question mark that you saw that means that the driver was not installed, go back to that spot and make sure there is not a yellow ! next to network controller What is the exact model of your PC? What kind of broadband are you using? DSL or Cable? What kind of modem/router do you have? yup!

Is the NIC onboard? If so, the drivers will be on the motherboard disk that came with the system. If it's not onboard, open the case, remove the NIC and record the information on there including the fcc ID. You can then search for the drivers on the web. If there was no make/model info, the fcc ID can be used to search for the manufacturer's name and make/model. You need to get your NIC working before you can connect to the internet and/or a LAN.

To see if windows even picked up the driver go to...start>control panel>add hardware>Look for a nic card with an red X. This will at least tell you the make/model. If its not there....If its a onboard, buy a new one. If its a card pull it out and do what Curt sait. thedon