Lost Internet Access after Computer turned off then turned back on.

I am running Windows XP Home Media Center Edition version 2002 Service Pack 2 on a Gateway FX 530 XM purchased in November of 2006. Intel Core2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13 GHz with 2 GB RAM.

There is a problem that has been present in this computer from the day I bought it which I really must address.

When the computer is turned off and then turned back on, I lose Internet access. In a few minutes a message balloon pops up in the notification area. It asks me to click and then a window opens asking me to repair the
Internet connection. The first attempt always fails. The second one is
successful. Basically turning the computer off then on costs me about ten minutes after Windows loads before I can go online. This does not happen with a restart; it only happens with an off-on.

The exact process the first try is: Repair Local Area Connection > Renewing your IP address > Windows could not finish repairing the problem because the following action could not be completed: Renewing your IP address

Then I click repair again and it works.

This is a problem because we are getting more brief power outages. Yes I could work around the problem with an uninterrupted power source, but I'd like to fix the problem. It is also a problem because in the past it didn't happen every time. Now it almost always happens.

A second computer on the same cable router will always be able to get on line.

A while back I e-mailed Gateway. I was told to do three things.

The first was to Perform Automated Troubleshooting using Network Diagnostics. My Network Adaptors passed: [00458755] WAN Miniport (IP) (PASSED) & [00000009] Intel(R) PRO/1000 PM Network Connection (PASSED).

I was however incorrectly told by Network Diagnostics that I had XP Professional.

The next instruction was to Check and repair Winsock corruption.

In a command prompt I ran: netsh winsock reset

After a restart, IE got on-line, but only after a long delay, close to a minute. This fix, however, did not survive past another OFF-ON of the computer.
So the first two steps did not solve the problem.

The third step they recommended, and the one I have not done yet is to Install TCP/IP.

These are the instructions:

1. Right-click the network connection and then click Properties.
2. Click Install.
3. Click Protocol, and then click Add.
4. Click Have Disk.
5. Type C:\Windows\inf, and then click OK.
6. On the list of available protocols, click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP),
and then click OK.
7. Restart the computer.

I have not done this yet. I'm not even sure where the "network connection" I'm supposed to click, is.

My concern is that if the system was this way out of the box, will this fix the problem?

Anyway, does anyone have any ideas I should try before I install TCP/IP?
If not, where is the "network connection" they are referring to.

Thank you.

 

I told Gateway that another computer on the same wired router has no connectivity problems. Gateway recommend contacting my ISP and he manufacturer of the router (Linksys) to check the Internet sharing. They said that "The issue you are having right now is due to your configuration. The other system may connect properly from the Internet but the other system may not due to improper configuration of sharing your connection".

I certainly don't look forward to contacting my ISP and am not sure what I would even ask them. For that matter, I'm not sure I would ask Linksys or what is the best way to find information on the router settings. Gateway did not offer much information.