Docking station ethernet connection

I have recently picked up a used docking station for Inspiron 4000.

Windows XP dutifully finds and lists both Ethernet connections. However, I
can only get the internal Ethernet connection to work, not the one on the
docking station itself. That kinda defeats the purpose of the dock since I
have to unplug the cable from the laptop. Also, the printer that is
connected thru that dock is now no longer visible to the network with the
laptop is out of the dock.

What is the process of activating the dock's connector when the laptop is
docked?

TIA

Steve

do you use dhcp or fixed ip addressing? if fixed then you have to put that
address into the settings for the nic in the dock. tell us more about the
network that you are connecting to...

"Steve Dell" wrote in message
...
I have recently picked up a used docking station for Inspiron 4000.

Windows XP dutifully finds and lists both Ethernet connections. However, I
can only get the internal Ethernet connection to work, not the one on the
docking station itself. That kinda defeats the purpose of the dock since I
have to unplug the cable from the laptop. Also, the printer that is
connected thru that dock is now no longer visible to the network with the
laptop is out of the dock.

What is the process of activating the dock's connector when the laptop is
docked?

TIA

Steve

"Steve Dell" wrote:
I have recently picked up a used docking station for Inspiron 4000.

Do you know for sure you didn't get a good price for it because it was
broken?

Is this a dock or a port replicator?

Windows XP dutifully finds and lists both Ethernet connections. However, I
can only get the internal Ethernet connection to work, not the one on the
docking station itself. That kinda defeats the purpose of the dock since I
have to unplug the cable from the laptop. Also, the printer that is
connected thru that dock is now no longer visible to the network with the
laptop is out of the dock.

What are the network properties for the dock ethernet connector?

Are you expecting the dock to act as a network print server?

What is the process of activating the dock's connector when the laptop is
docked?

I just enable and disable the ones I want, and WinXP remembers them
for me.

In answer to your questions below, I've numbered yours and answered.

1-Assuming that Windoze sees both Ethernet connections, that the docking
station works fine. It does.
2-It is a Docking station.
3-Where do I find the network properties? Device Manager?
4-Print server - NO
5-As with most docks, you can activate or deactivate them via the device
manager.

William P.N. Smith wrote in message
...
"Steve Dell" wrote:
I have recently picked up a used docking station for Inspiron 4000.

1Do you know for sure you didn't get a good price for it because it was
broken?

2 Is this a dock or a port replicator?

Windows XP dutifully finds and lists both Ethernet connections. However, I
can only get the internal Ethernet connection to work, not the one on the
docking station itself. That kinda defeats the purpose of the dock since I
have to unplug the cable from the laptop. Also, the printer that is
connected thru that dock is now no longer visible to the network with the
laptop is out of the dock.

3What are the network properties for the dock ethernet connector?

4 Are you expecting the dock to act as a network print server?

5What is the process of activating the dock's connector when the laptop is
docked?

I just enable and disable the ones I want, and WinXP remembers them
for me.

"Steve Dell" wrote:
In answer to your questions below, I've numbered yours and answered.

That's so confusing that I've trimmed heavily. I didn't think
top-posting could get more confusing, just shows how wrong I can be...

1-Assuming that Windoze sees both Ethernet connections, that the docking
station works fine. It does.

The fact that WinDoze sees the hardware and the fact that the hardware
works are only tangentially related. I'd run a hardware diagnostic
and see if I could do some low-level echo test on the network before I
knew for sure that the hardware on this used device you bought on
eBay is really functional.

2-It is a Docking station.

I'm pretty sure I have the same one (D-Dock), and can assure you that
it works, except for the print server function you seem to reference
in your OP.

3-Where do I find the network properties? Device Manager?

No, either right-click on a network connection in your system tray and
"Open Network Connections" or open the network connections directly
thru the start menu or in the (classic) control panel. (It's
different for each version of XP, and setting dependent, sigh).

4-Print server - NO

Then why did you complain in your OP that "Also, the printer that is
connected thru that dock is now no longer visible to the network with
the laptop is out of the dock."?

5-As with most docks, you can activate or deactivate them via the device
manager.

I just go into network properties when I'm docked and enable the
ethernet and disable the WiFi. I then undock and enable WiFi and
disable Ethernet. When I dock and undock it then does the right
thing. I don't think you want to use the device mangler to enable or
disable them, as that might disable them more permanently at a lower
hardware level...