It sounds like a firewall problem. You're probably using Vista, which I don't really know, but if it's XP, right click on the connection to the net and bring up the firewall. (Or go to control panel, security center). You should be able to enable the various programs you want from there.

Unless "the little internet box thingamagic" is a router, in which case it is acting as a firewall. To set that up, you need to do some stuff that largely depends on the router but ought to be reasonably straightforward. Open a browser and go to 192.168.1.1. That's the usual default address for the router and these days they're usually all configurable through a web browser.

Depending on whether you're running Windows XP or Vista, you can bring up a command line window ("DOS box" although it really hasn't been DOS for ages), and type, exactly:

ipconfig /all > C:\networktest.txt

You'll get back a bunch of information that will exactly describe your current network connnections, in a text file at the root of your C:\ drive, and the file name will be "networktest.txt" Save the file to whatever computer you are using to connect to Mecha, and copy and paste its contents here. We'll likely be able to help you.

But, it's also worth turning everything off for 2 minutes, then turning on your SBC box, waiting for 2 minutes, and then turning on your Dell again. This lets, in sequence, the SBC box establish network connectivity and store the connection parameters to hand out to computers at your house, and then, makes your computer get the latest connection info from the SBC box. A lot of stuff just works, again, if ever it did before, after you do that.

Thanks, guys, I'll try all that.

It's a 700m Inspirion running XP and it was all working just fine (except that I would sometimes have to reboot to connect again after 6 hours of Civ) and then it just . . . stopped. I use AVG, which says everything's clean and I didn't change anything. It's so frustrating.

try paulsc's second tip first - by that I mean turn everything off and back on again.

99% of the time, doing this will solve everything. if this doesn't work (and I'm betting it will), then do the command line window step.

It's generic advice, not based on anything you've mentioned, butb make sure that you are running only ONE anti-virus package.

"... It's a 700m Inspirion running XP and it was all working just fine (except that I would sometimes have to reboot to connect again after 6 hours of Civ) and then it just . . . stopped. ..."

Couple of other thoughts. If the device that SBC gave you is, in fact, a WiFi router, as opposed to a simple cable or DSL modem, you might have firmware issues that require either replacement of the device, or a firmware upgrade to cure. If you contact SBC, they can probably look directly into your device from their side, and either run diagnostics, initiate a firmware upgrade, or send you a replacement unit. Many cable/DSL providers have been faced with doing this, as their networks have been upgraded, and the installed base of devices has required more smarts to handle the increasing sophistication of their networks.

So don't hesitate to call your ISP/cable company/telco. Networks change, just because more folks are getting connectivity all the time, necessitating new connections. Particularly DSL and cable systems are affected when lots of your neighbors get on the broadband bandwagon, and unless you complain, vociferously, they don't send a technician out to recalibrate your connection. Just because your connection was good once, doesn't mean it still is, or will be, in the future.

Otherwise, if your normal means of connecting is through WiFi, you could suddenly be getting interference from new adjacent equipment, like other people's new cordless phones, WiFi equipment, microwave ovens, etc. If you can connect reliably via a normal wired Ethernet connection, this is most likely what is going on, although it is also possible your wireless card or chip has died. I've had a couple of Linksys WiFi cards die in use, one of which insisted that it was "connected" to my WiFi router, when, in fact, it's transmit radio link was way down on power.

Did any of the suggestions fix it? If not, let me know what you tried and I'll pass it on to the BF.

I feel like a total idiot for not trying this, but shutting everything off and repowering (as a friend suggested via email) from the things closest to the internet to the thing furthest worked just fine.

My question of who do you turn to when you haven't the local friend tech support remains unanswered, although I guess YG's guy might work for whiskey!