I am planning to install gentoo on another machine connected to the same router. This machine's connection has fluctuated from on and off within a span of a few months and now does not work. I first thought it was my cat playing with the router but everything seems fine. I am getting no connection at all. The machine is a PIII 733MHZ with Win98SE installed. I am planning on installing gentoo if I can get the connection up and working.

I've tried:

ipconfig \renew_all

I don't think it's the OS or network card. I am so lost.

Any ideas

(It's a Linksys router if that matters.)

The cable may be broken, especially the connector, try with a new cable.
Long cable ( >50 feet) can be an issue too. Ethernet 100Mbit shouldn't go over 100 feet, but it is sometime a smaller or longer distance depending the cable. Have you tried to connect the computer next to the router with a 3 feet cable?

Sometime, just some dust in the "port" can mess up your connection... try to clean your router/network port.

Or maybe is it really the network card or the OS? My guess would be to download knoppix to check this out. Knoppix is a "live" distro, mean it will boot from a cd without installing anything on your computer.

That is incorrect that ethernet has a maximum of 100 feet. It has a maximum of 328 feet or 100 meters from computer to hub, switch or bridge. Yes, you could use a hub, switch, or bridge as a repeater to extend it to 656 feet or 200 meters.

From the bad connector, cut about 6 inches or 15 centimeters. Then crimp a new connector. Do the same to the other end of the cable if it still does not work. If it still does not work, you have to replace the whole cable.

100 meters eh? I probably confused meters and feet, damn imperial system