[YourFoxyGrandma]

...and then one day it stopped. Network status tells me that my built-in ethernet is active and is connected to the internet, though I beg to differ. I have a cable connection and my mac shares a connection with a pc. The internet connection on my pc is as fast as ever.

Thoughts?

[ghporter]

I have questions, rather than thoughts. Firstly, did ANYTHING else happen before the ethernet connection stopped working? Like turning off something, or swapping cables for the PC and the Mac to the network?

Before I could develop any thoughts, I'd need to know the entire layout of your network, especially what router, if any, you're using. Also, knowing what cable provider you use, and what make and model your modem is might help.

If the Mac says the ethernet connection is working, then odds are that the hardware IS working. I'm 99% sure that this is a configuration problem-and many cable modems change their configuration based on what's plugged into them when they turn on.

[YourFoxyGrandma]

Bleh, I guess I should've included more information. I'm on a somewhat screwy network--a surfboard sb3100 cable modem with comcast internet service is connected to a linksys befsr41 router. 2 computers and another router are connected to this. My 2 computers are connected to the second router, a linksys nr041.

I lost power during a thunderstorm one evening. One of the computers connected to the main router was having connection problems. A restart of that router fixed that. It was after this that I started having connection problems with my mac.

I'm more or less saavy computerwise, but I really never took the time to learn anything about networking. I assume my configuration is laughable. I appreciate the help, nonetheless.

[ghporter]

Ok, that helps me figure out what's going on. Before I say anything else, let me put in my plug (completely uncompensated) for putting ALL your computer equipment, including your networking equipment, on an uninterruptable power supply. Lightning may blow up an UPS, but it can't get through it to screw up your equipment.

Now then, I believe you should do a reset of the NR041 at least. This will NOT wipe out any settings you have in it, but it clears the thing completely, basically rebooting it. My personal take would be to restart it first-turn it off for at least a full minute, then turn it back on-to see if this has any affect, and if not doing a reset.

You don't mention whether you have the NR041 connected through its WAN port or through a LAN port, and that could make a difference too. I have a BEFSR41 as my main router, with a USRobotics router as a switch supporting several more computers; using a second router as a switch is as simple as connecting it to the main router through a LAN port.

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about: