Problem:  After I upgraded to Win XP Home from Win ME, I loose access to my DSL connection

Details:  I have a Dell Dimension L w/ a 700mhz Celeron processor, 512MB RAM and 11GB free of a 20 GB hard drive.  I access the Internet via a SBC DSL connection through a Linksys BEFSR41 router (my roommate and I share the DSL -- he’s on a Mac).

After I install Win XP Home (cleanly, e.g., no errors) I no longer can access the Internet.  After installing, I checked on the network connections window of the control panel and the system acknowledges that there is a broadband connection, yet, when I try to “repair” it, the repair fails and tells me to check with my ISP or sys admin

When I first attempted installation, I spent 2 hours on the phone with a Microsoft help line, going through: checking the TCP/IP codes; rebooting my modem and router; and, bypassing the router and connecting to the DSL line directly.  After no success, the help line guy said that there probably was something wrong with my Ethernet card.  I find this hard to believe because I ended up uninstalling XP after the problem arose and my broadband connection worked fine after going back to Win ME.

PLEASE HELP!  Right now I’ve got a $100 piece of software in XP that’s as useful as a paper weight

- sacamano