Windows me networking problems

Hi there to everyone on the forums.
I need your help. I have a desktop and a laptop computer which I want to have networked for ICS, games and general file sharing. Anyway about a month ago I got a network card for the desktop and a 3com LAN cardbus for the laptop. Using tutorials from the net I managed to set up a network that achieved my aims, except that it was never reliable. In the past few days it's stopped working altogether. I've searched for a solution but havn't found an answer yet.
Both machines are running windows me. They are connected directly by standard network cable (the blue stuff).
In the network places of the desktop the desktop is visible however in the network places of the laptop I get an error when trying to access the entire network or it's empty. So I figure it has something to do with the laptop computer. I've tried updating the network card's drivers but that diddn't help. Also the network has worked before and I don't know of anything I've done differently or canged scince the network has stopped working.
Any help would be appreciated.

1. RE: Windows me networking problems
lbyard Jul-22-01 03:43 PM
In response to message 0

The first thing to check is the network cable. How they networked? With a crossover cable? Make sure it is plugged all the in at both ends. Make sure there are no kinks in the cable (e.g., a chair leg on top of it). Check the Link LED on the desktop (and on the laptop, if it has one). They should be on solid after booting, no flickering. With ME be sure you have all of the protocols running on one PC are installed on the other. Please come back if you still have problems. Larry

2. RE: Windows me networking problems
Michael_qrt Jul-23-01 00:04 AM
In response to message 1

The LEDs on both computers are off. I used to use them as an indicator of whether or not the network was working. i.e. they were on most of the time but sometimes the network would stop working. Now I can't get anything to work and the LEDs are always off.
I've checked all the protocols. Would it help removing them all and adding them again?
anyway thanks for replying

3. RE: Windows me networking problems
Michael_qrt Jul-23-01 04:47 AM
In response to message 2

Well I don't know if this will help anyone to suss out the problem but this morning I was using the net on my desktop and decided to turn on the laptop. Much to my surprise and joy the light was on on the network card, I could share my net connection and do all that network stuff. Anyway after about five minutes the lights went off and the network stopped working. I didn't do anything for it to start working and I didn't do anything that might have stopped it from working.
BTW my cabling is cat5 and I've tested some with some cable that I know works so that's not the problem.

4. RE: Windows me networking problems
lbyard Jul-23-01 03:15 PM
In response to message 3

All I can say is... If the LINK LEDs are off, you don’t have a network at the lower hardware/Etheernet level and you most likely have a cable problem. Ethernet network adapter transmitters send periodic link integrity pulses. If they fail to find an Ethernet port at the other end (I believe it is no response from three consecutive pulses and don’t have time at present to look-it-up), the LINK LED goes out—there is no link. Be sure the RJ-45 plugs on the cable properly seated in their jacks. It could be an adapter problem. Be sure the PCMCIA card is fully seated. Larry