Home network set up...worked before, now it wont

[Vito]

I'm doing a simple 2 puter network setup here.
I am checking out a newly built puter to download drivers and what not. I had previously had 2 computers networked and both accessing the internet just fine. So I unplugged the 2nd puter and hooked up the newly built one.
The host rig has 2 nic cards. One for the cable interent and the other card for sharing. ( No onboard LAN) The new rig does have onboard LAN.
Using Cat5 cables.
OK....I keep getting the ol " network cable unplugged" in my Network connections. I tried setting up small home network countless times to get the shared rig going. All drivers for nic cards are latest. Lights on the sharing nic card do not light up. If I install the cable internet line into it will work so I know its not the card. Both puters are in same workgroup.
Any ideas?

[Chris]

If the host is running DHCP then make sure you have the "obtain ip address" checked on the client workstation. You can try pinging 127.0.0.1 or just "ping loopback" if its a 2000/XP machine if you get a response then the NIC is installed correctly. Find out what the IP of the host is you can use ipconfig for that, and try ping that address from the client.

[deeman]

if it is a cable running from 1 computer to the other without going through a router or something then make sure it is a cat 5e which is a crossover cable heres a guide
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=124165

[Vito]

Cable is a CAT 5 e
Ive tried 2 different ones too.

[Vito]

It was the cable after all.
I went and got a yellow cross over cable from WorstBuy.
$23.00...daamn!
Workin great now.

cheers