[BTTB]

First off, I'm a total noob to setting up an internet connection.

So, I need to make a computer internet capable. I don't have a network card, but I have a router (I think, it's a box with lights that flash on and off, it came with my roadrunner package) and the cables. What do I need to buy to get internet available?

[don256us]

The what's and why's and do's and don'ts will all depend on how many PCs we're talking about, what OS you have, the type of machine, etc.

The box that came from Roadrunner; how many ports are on the back. I'm guessing that you have one for the phone cable and one for the computer and maybe a USB port too. If so, this is simply a modem. You can only hook one machine to it. If you want to connect more, you would need a router. If the unit has 5 ports, with one marked WAN, then you have a router.

If you are only connecting the one machine to the internet and no others, you don't need the router. The machine that you are talking about, it would need a network interface card (NIC). What NIC to buy depends on the machne that you are using. If this is a very old 486 or early Pentium class, you may need to get an ISA NIC. You could probably find one for next to nothing on the web or your local shop. If the machine has PCI slots, then you can find brand new $10 cards on line.

The how to for setting it up depends on the OS on your machine.

I'm feeling like I need to know more about what you have to be of more help to you. Please feel free to post back.

[elfiena]

if you don't know how to set up a network, don't request for the self installation kit. trust me, you learn more by watching and talking to the technician than messing with a bounch of hardware and hopefully they'd work together. that's like trying to OC when your idea of buying a rig is to call up dell.

now if the isp(road runner) doesn't offer on site install, here's some instructions:
you said your isp is road runner, in which case i am guessing is a cable broadband provider. the box they gave you is mostlikely to be a cable modem. now what you need to do is check on the back plate and see what kind of connectors you have. if ht has a usb cable connector, then you are on easy street as most pcs have usb ports built-in on their mobo. you need to plug the power adapter into the electric socket, plug the round end into your cable modem, then plug your cable line (coaxial cable) in the port that looks like what you have on the back of your tv, wait for the "online" light to turn on, install road runner software on your computer, plug in the usb cable and you are done.

if you don't have usb connector in the back of the box, you will have to goto local computer store and buy yourself an ethernet card. i would recommand a linksys card as they usually either use ne2000 chipset or tulip chipset, both have been well supported in windows and other oses. open up your pc, install the NIC, load up the drivers, plug a regular cat 5 cable in both the cable modem and the NIC and you are done.

if you have dsl, it is basically the same thing except instead of coaxial cable, you plug a phone line in the back of the modem.

when you are done with hardware and driver installation, goto network configuration and enable dhcp client(obtain IP information automatically) and configure IE/firefox to use LAN(local area network) and you can browse webpages.

[BTTB]

Thanks a lot guys!

*I love this place*

It's an Athlon 64 system, 3200+.

[klingens]

I doubt you can still buy athlon64 capable mainboards without an integrated network adapter. So I doubt you will need to buy anything. Near the place where you plug in your keyboard and mouse, there must be an ethernet jack. Use it.

[ManOman]

...and if you've got WindowsXP on your system (which I assume you do by the fact that you're running an A64,) and you opt to have a tech do the installation, don't let him fool you into thinking that you need to install their software package to get internet access.
I have to tell people all the time (mostly my parents ) that XP has broadband capabilities already built in. I've found that usually the software packages that come from ISP's are loaded with spyware and don't do anything to help your productivity. They will on the other hand slow your system down a fair bit.

[BTTB]

Well, I previously tried it and it told me to install an ISP. When I opened internet explorer it came up as page could not be displayed.

I'll try it again, but what should I set windows firewall to? I REALLY love my computer's efficiency, and I don't want retarded viruses and such killing that.

[four4875]

i would leave the firewall on, and in MSIE go to tools, internet options, connections tab, click the setup button to run the internet connection wizard.

select connect to the internet, set up my connection manually, connect using a broadband modem that is always on, (im guessing from here, its sayin mine is already configured so it wont do it again) should be easy from there, just select permanantly connected through LAN and so on.

hope this helps. oh, and i reccomend using the ethernet over USB, seem to get better bandwidth that way, and as soon as you put the RR cd in it starts puttin its crap on your comp my dad made the mistake of doin it.