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General discussion

Trying to hook laptop up to a broadband connection

Jul 1, 2008 6:18AM PDT

I have a Dell 1720 laptop and want to hook it up to the broadband connection that is currently on my fathers computer (I'm downloading music and want to skip the thumb drive transfer). Whenever I hook it up to my laptop it asks for a username and password which my father doesn't know because the tech rep hooked it up for him. I was just wondering if I was trying to hook up to it wrong or if any of you would know a way to do this. Thanks for the help.

Discussion is locked

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Exactly when. . .
Jul 1, 2008 8:42AM PDT

do you get this message?

The connection should be an Ethernet cable from the modem to the laptop.

Broadband as in what? Some DSL needs the username and password.

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how it goes
Jul 1, 2008 1:57PM PDT

I hook up the ethernet from the router to the laptop and nothing happens. So I click on the "network connections" icon on the bottom right. I push the connect to broadband connection option, it thinks for a bit then asks for the username and password. It's a cable modem.

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Ok, let's try. . .
Jul 1, 2008 8:45PM PDT

a Power Cycle. Power off the modem, router and PC. Power up in this order.

Modem, wait until the lights are right.

Router, wait until the lights are right.

PC.

Now, if it still happens, tell me EXACTLY when it asks for username and password. Does it happen when you try to access a web page? If so, what is the address?

"I push the connect to broadband connection option". Where is this located? Is it on the desktop and if so what's the name of the icon?