Home Networking

Are your computers set up to use DHCP, if so, is your router programmed to hand out enough IP addresses?

if you have sp2 installed on the xp box, temporarly disable
the firewall and try to connect.

Best Regards

nothing o do with the NIC ........... If u get self ping for NIC then nothing to do with NIC....................

test "ping 127.0.0.1 -t" if u get reply then nothing to do with NIC........

comming to the other part is if XP SP2 is installed the disable the firewall option........

 assign static ips to both the systems and check........

As win 98 system is working then mostly XP might be  firewall enabled...........

check your cable and the port the netcable goes in could be faulty

can you ping from 98 pc to the xp pc and from xp to 98 pc

well it has nothing to do with the NIC. First thing you should do is ping 127.0.0.1 you should see something along the lines of this:

Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 127.0.0.1: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

Next we need to check is you have SP2 installe don your machine. Right click on My Computer icon, then select properties. The window that pops up should contain information about your Operating System(OS), the version and then the service pack.  If you have SP2 installed you will need to turn off the firewall that Microsoft has turned on for you.  

To turn off the firewall, right click on My Network Places, then click on Properties.  Next click on the Advanced Tab, then click on the Settings button in the Windows Firewall box. click the Radio button next to off. Click on ok until windows are closed.

Now see if you can get on the internet.

I agree with thribhu that it is probably not your nic. Do assign a static IP to test this. Right click on Network Places and select Properties. Right click on Local Area Connection and select Properties. Highlight Internet Protocol (tcp/ip) and click the properties button. Click the radio button to select Use the Following address. Assign an IP at least ten digits away from what the 98 machine has(192.168.2.10 -then use 192.168.2.20), use the same subnet (255.255.255.0 most likely) and the same gateway (inside IP of the router)

Reboot and ping yahoo.com and let us know what happens.
BTW apologies if the above is too simplistic for you, but some people need step by step.....

Hopefully, deeborah will see your post and tell us what solved her problem.  I feel everyone gave good suggestions, so I can't see how you could give out points... so I'm okay with a N/A and refund if she didn't get fixed.