Network connected, no internet

[microslave]

Fresh dual boot install of fc5 and XP. The system indicates that I'm connected to a wired network but my browser can't find any websites. I'm using firefox. I set my network to use dhcp to find my network settings, as Stanton Finley suggested. Nothing. Tried using the settings from my xp system to set for a static ip since they work on xp. Still nothing. I also tried connecting directly to the modem instead of my belkin router and still got no connection.
My 3 windows computers connect with no probs. But I want to use linux. I've used RedHat a few years ago but I would still call myself a newbie. How do I find out what I'm doing wrong?

[cruiseoveride]

Open a console and type "su -" [ENTER], now type the root password
now type "ifconfig" and post it here
also type "route" and paste it here
and also type "cat /etc/resolv.conf" and paste it here
and :) type "cat /var/lib/dhclient/dhclient.leases" and paste it here
and also type "cat /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth*" and paste it here

then we shoudl be able to know exactly wats going on
I suggest attach it as files (attachments) when u post back

[microslave]

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:13:D3:C7:16:CE
inet addr:169.254.139.60 Bcast:169.254.255.255 Mask:255.255.0.0
inet6 addr: fe80::213:d3ff:fec7:16ce/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:1237 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:151 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:90288 (88.1 KiB) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
Interrupt:5 Base address:0x8000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:4277 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:4277 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:4226009 (4.0 MiB) TX bytes:4226009 (4.0 MiB)


output for route:
Kernel IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface
169.254.0.0 * 255.255.0.0 U 0 0 0 eth0

[root@localhost ~]# cat /etc/resolv.conf
# generated by NetworkManager, do not edit!

[root@localhost ~]# cat /var/lib/dhclient/dhclient.leases
cat: /var/lib/dhclient/dhclient.leases: No such file or directory

[root@localhost ~]# cat /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/icfg-eth*
cat: /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/icfg-eth*: No such file or directory

[cruiseoveride]

strange, i dont know if ur router gave u that but there is no dns entry,
lets try something
get back into root, with the "su -" command
now type
"dhclient" [ENTER]
hopefully you will see ur network card getting an address, if it doesnt dhclient will not quit by itself,
if dhclient does not complete within a minute press Ctl+C to stop it,
if dhclient completes nicely then ur net should be working immediately

[microslave]

It didn't output any info, and basically it took about a minute and the the command line came back. Fired up firefox and got the same old "try again" button. I do appreciate your help in this. I'm so new to this OS, it like feels moving to another country. I am eager to learn this OS and can't wait to say goodbye to XP.

[microslave]

OK i went to the network gui and it showed the device as "inactive" so I activated it. Now, when I open firefox, it seems to be searching endlessly for www.google.com. Which is what I set in FF as the home page.

[cruiseoveride]

so u have a cable connection which ur router receives an ip and then redistributes the net using a private submet?
when u gave me

[root@localhost ~]# cat /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/icfg-eth*
cat: /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/icfg-eth*: No such file or directory

that was a sign that the gui network program was not doing its job.
perhaps try the command again after u did the activate
give me a route again, as firefox is looking for something now
and a ifconfig

[microslave]

Would it be any easier to set up my connection using my usb wireless network adaptor?
I don't need this computer to be wired in.

[cruiseoveride]

feel free to add me on ur instant messenger, i will be awake for another hour or so,
or u can catch me tomorrow and i can walk you through it

[microslave]

Ok, well I may have messed up, because since the last time I ran those commands, I have cleared the settings in the network gui and tried to start over. But here's the output:

Kernel IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface
169.254.0.0 * 255.255.0.0 U 0 0 0 lo

[root@localhost ~]# ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:13:D3:C7:16:CE
inet6 addr: fe80::213:d3ff:fec7:16ce/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:45 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:214 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:5254 (5.1 KiB) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
Interrupt:5 Base address:0x8000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:2020 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:2020 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:2234452 (2.1 MiB) TX bytes:2234452 (2.1 MiB)

[microslave]

I don't currently have an IM. Which one do you suggest? I would sincerely appreciate a walk through at you convenience tomorrow.

[cruiseoveride]

those results are definetly bogus, for some reason your linux machine is not getting an ip from ur dhcp server.
if ur windows machines are, then linux should have got one at boot too.
do u have the router setup i mentioned earlier?
The wireless usb stick need s quite a bit of initial work, so i dont suggest it for now (in terms of drivers etc)
The problem with networking in linux is there are too many ways to do the same thing. thats why it may seem confusing.
Why dont u paste ur router setup details here, maybe someone else may have a different strategy to mine.
I am a little old fashioned with my methodology, but if u have a Internet accesable machine near by i can help you out with the IM. Use any one of my IMs. i am connected to all 3 at the same time with GAIM. i will help you out tomorrow.

[microslave]

I'll grab one of the three I see posted under your name and try to catch up tomorrow. Thanks for helping me. It's people like you that make a free OS possible.

[microslave]

Well, after spending several hours troubleshooting with cruiseoveride, I am finally free.
Thanks to his suggestion(s) and his enthusiastic sense of duty, my system works great.
All I had to do is update the kernel and reboot. Fired right up. Went straight to the www.
cruiseoveride's willingness to help was quite inspiring and I hope that one day I will have
the opportunity to "save the day" for some lost newbie.