that should have read: please tell me whether it is possible to connect to dial up service through the ethernet port or do you have to install an internal modem...

What kind of internet service do you have? Dial-up, DSL, Cable?

To do dial up you need an internal fax modem or an external fax modem.

Or perhaps one of these, which is a dial up modem that accepts an ethernet wired computer connection or a wifi enabled computer ...
http://www.wiflyer.com/StoreFront.bok

I don't fully understand the question, still I offer the following. If you want to install and interconnect two computers via the Ethernet Port you'll need only a CAT5 cable with RJ45 male terminations. This will allow the two computers to directly share files and other resources. I've never done this, but I think it works. If you want to connect three or more Computer via an Ethernet network you need an Ethernet Hub. These are very inexpensive. If you also want to connect to the Internet, then you'll need a Router instead of the Hub. That said, you have to have an interface to the ISP, which will NOT be Ethernet unless you are inside their facility and can patch a CAT5 cable into their router...I say this in "jest", but I read you question to say you don't understand the basics of connecting to an ISP, which has Ethernet involved only if you want to operate an Ethernet network inside your home/business. Now backing off in ignorance, I admit if you have Fiber Optical cable to your home/business, that my have an Ethernet interface... don't know.

sorry about the lack of clarity, so i give it another try...

took computer from home where i had internet hookup through an external DSL modem which connected to a router and then wired into computer through the ethernet port...

took same computer to cottage where i only have dial up service...

problem is that i am not able to dial up...

to solve the problem, i took the internal modem (US RObotic 56K) from an older computer but discovered that the none of the visible slots within the dell dimension 4600 motherboard would accept the card...

in other words, i'm simply wanting to access dial up service for a single stand alone computer...

btw... given that i am able to dial up on an older pentium III suggests that everything is there to accept connection...

hope this gives you a better idea of my problem...

windr

Your US Robotics modem is probably for ISA slot and you need one for a PCI slot for the Dell. PCI replaced ISA and ESIA a few years ago and most newer computers no longer have those slots.

hey bob,

thanks for the information and making that distinction between ISA and PCI slot...

given that i am sure once a purchased PCI modem card is installed, it will solve the problem...

windr

Having trouble posting this so I sent you an email. will try again.
windr, I just checked a review of your dell and it has a modem built in. You should be able to find the phone jack on the back. Here's part of the review:
The Dimension 4600's connectivity is more mainstream than progressive. The front panel gives you the standard pair of USB 2.0 ports plus a speaker output, but the ports are easier to access now than they were with previous Dimension models because they are no longer angled down toward the floor. The rear port is packed with legacies, such as a PS/2 keyboard and mouse, plus serial and parallel ports. You also get a generous six USB 2.0 ports, a 10/100 Ethernet port, and another set of audio connections. Our evaluation unit's graphics card offers both VGA and DVI ports for analog or digital displays. There are no FireWire ports, but you could add a FireWire card to an available PCI slot. Nor is there an integrated video port, but a PCI modem card provides a dial-up connection.

hi bob,

after reading your post, i rechecked the ports on the back of the computer...

i see the six usb 2.0 ports arranged in two rows; top row has four ports while the bottom has two...
and to the right of the bottom row of 2 there is a port which i assume is the 10,100 Ethernet port because of the straight horizontal line drawing with a square on top of it and two below it...

besides, although that port accepts a telephone jack it does not allow for dial out...

at any rate, was given an external modem which for now is serving the purpose but your post now raises other questions: do i or do i not have a pci modem card and if i do how do i get it to work (assuming the ethernet port is designed to accept both phone jack and jack coming from a DSL modem...

at times i am wondering whether this is straightforward or am complicating things with my ignorance...

windr

A phone jack and an ethernet jack are two different animals.

Try plugging an ethernet cable into a regular phone jack and you'll quickly discover the ethernet connector is way too big.

Here's a picture from the dell support pages showing how to plug your telephone line into the modem. Dimension 4600's with different specs are listed so the back of the computers may vary a little but should look basically the same.

{{gwi:1447533}}

If you need to buy the connection cables: Telephone is RJ11 and Ethernet is RJ45. The Ethernet cables is a high quality twisted pair (just like telephone), but has much better bandwidth. Get cable marked CAT5 and it should be good up to 100 feet or so. Not that your asked, but we seem to be getting down to the basics here.

hey bob,

the picture of the back of the dell answers why i could not find phone jack...

that slot is now vacant because some time ago the modem card was swapped out for a DVB card which was subsequently removed...

i fogot about the extraction and did not make the connection (in my mind) until i saw the picture...

thanks for your persistence on helping me clear this up...

windr