All is now working. Here is what I did: I removed the ethernet cable connecting the Cradlepoint router to the second (Netgear) router, and connected it directly to the computer. I really believe that the cable from the Netgear router to the computer is faulty, so I will buy another one. I use the Netgear to give the wireless signal a wider range than the Cradlepoint provides. Zep, I checked the TCP/IP properties, and it was not checked to Obtain DNS server address automatically. Instead, it had the ip address of the Cradlepoint router entered. I changed it, following your instructions, and kept losing the connection, so I put the setting back as it was. I think there is a reason I had it that way. I am using Open DNS on the router, and I think the instructions were to set it up that way. At any rate it is now working, so I'll leave well enough alone. Oh, yes, the wireless is working also. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.

If mine I'd put the battery in, hook the ac adapter up. Turn it on. Explore things. I would maybe instantly make the Restore DVD's before I did anything else then next from Control Panels, Back Up and Restore.... on the left margin make a Image file to DVD's. So I could quickly put it back in 'out of the box' shape... should I need to some day. Maybe hold off starting lots of things.. look in Control Panel, Program & features. Kind of compare what is installed for programs to the Icons on the desktop. Some of the junk items will not be installed until you start them up the first time. Lots will be TrialWare programs that usually come with new computers that will Want money in the months to come. You can decide if you want the AntiVirus program that came with it... and some of the other programs probably too before running them.. Sure is lots cleaner to get rid of them if never installed to begin with.

zep516 - Thank you for that info! I'll try it and see what I come up with. I appreciate your responding to my question. nearandwest - Thank you also for responding. I loved the detailed explanation and will be definitely using this method. ravencajun - Thanks so much for the link and the warning. I'm very cautious when it comes to removing things. If I don't know exactly what it is, I leave it alone. Better to be safe & have a slow computer than to be sorry & without my computer because of something I ignorantly have done. Thanks! mikie - whatever would I have done with all these fingerprints had you not replied?! haha thanks ;)

Any new laptop you buy will be able to connect to the Internet if you already have an Internet service at your house. If you want to switch from BellSouth to AOL or to any other provider of Internet services, it doesn't matter: the laptop will still be able to connect to the Internet through whatever provider you choose. Most providers do not need to have any special software installed; you just need to have a browser installed, like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, etc., and all of these are free. At least one (probably Internet Explorer) will already be installed on your laptop when you buy it. If your MIL does not have Internet service, you generally can't connect when you are at her house. Think of Internet service like regular, wired phone service. If you are at someone's house and they don't have a phone line, you can't make a phone call. Now I am going to tell yo something a little more complicated. When you have Internet service at your house, the company will typically provide you with a little electronic box called a router. This device hooks up to a cable in the wall that carries the signal the company provides, and then a wire goes from that little box to your computer. You can get access to the Internet from the wire that comes from that router, or you can connect without the wire because the laptop has a card in it that can receive the Internet signal wirelessly (sort of like a cell phone) from the router. That way, you can move around the house easily with the laptop, or maybe even sit outside with it. The disadvantage of a wireless connection is that it has limited range. The computer may not be able to receive a signal in some parts of your house. On the other hand, if the signal was strong, you might even be able to get it wirelessly and connect to the Internet at your MIL's, even though she doesn't have her own service. Given that you know little about computers, probably any laptop will be just fine for you. You should choose one primarily on the basis of the screen size and how much you want to pay. Don't get talked into spending a lot because all the features and speed you need will be present in even the lowest cost computers. If you go shopping and are confused, ask more questions here before buying. Lastly, there are many good books out there that will explain what you need to know in very simple language. Get yourself a book like Computers for Dummies or something similar like the one below. (In trying to answer your questions, I have assumed that whatever Internet service you have that it is not the old-fashioned, painfully slow dial-up that uses a modem. If you do use dial-up to get Internet service, then there is other stuff to tell you. Here is a link that might be useful: Absolute Beginner's Guide