Networking is really simple.....

[Superflid]

....so they told me.

NIC card in desktop (running XP - Realtek 8139/810x), adaptor in laptop (Win 98 - Netgear FA411) and a crossover cable inbetween.

Done that.

Now have icon telling me that a cable is unplugged. I'ved looked, it's not.

Taken card out of PC and re-installed it, still the same.

Kicked it, swore a lot, even borrowed next door's dog to kick as we don't have any pets......

What have I killed?

[Superflid]

Yup, came with an old (Non-XP compatible) Belkin kit.

[Superflid]

I should have said....

I've been attacking this for most of the day. When I first began I didn't have this problem (plenty of others!) as the icon correctly told me when the laptop was switched on or off.

[Superflid]

Been trawling through dozens of links from Google, all with the same problem, all with different causes!
Seems like whatever is wrong with the setup the "A network cable is disconnected" message is the only one available.

[Superflid]

PLayed around with speed settings, with both at 10 full duplex things are improving!

It now realises that the cable is plugged in.......

Still having problems getting anything else happening, but now stopped kicking next door's dog.

[Superflid]

Yipeee!!!!

Laptop can now browse t'internet.

Next problem...........

Tried to export the favorites folder to laptop but got message that I don't have permission to access the file. Something to do with administrators permission I suppose.
Snag is that logged on as another user doesn't give me the favorites folder I need.

How? Please......

[Superflid]

eeeerrrrr.......

No.

[Superflid]

Things have gone from poor to worse......

As the net connection was working OK I decided it would be a good idea to use Windows update as the laptop had a clean install of 98.
Downloaded all of the security updates (leaving IE 6.0 until later) and after they installed I restarted the laptop.

Now the laptop can't see the network card!

If I plug the card in one of the slots nothing happens at all, in the other the windows "Wait" hourglass comes up but the machine freezes, have left it for a few minutes to see if anything happens. Pull the card out and it returns to normal. With the card in the "Freezing" slot the machine won't boot up at all.
On startup, with the card in the other slot, the lights on the card do flash on and off.

I've tried checking the card settings and re-installed the drivers. Still not appearing in Device manager.

In Add/Remove programs I've removed the windows update but with no difference to the network.

Shall I throw the machine out of the window?