LAN Connection Enabled but not Connected

[Guest]

Using XP Home SP1 on a Toshiba laptop.
Located in a serviced office building where we connect to a central, office
based LAN connection to get internet access. We currently have 5 desktops
attached to this system and have set up file and printer sharing between
them. We have now got an additional connection and have successfully attached
a laptop to it.
I have tried to connect an older laptop, running XP Home SP1, via a NETGEAR
adaptor.
The icon in the system tray shows it as connected at 100mbps. However, in
the Network Connections window the status is shown as "Enabled" and not as
"Connected". I cannot get onto the internet.
I cannot work out how to move the status from enabled to connected. If you
right-click the LAN connection icon and check Status, the window comes up
saying it is connected.
How can I get the connection to complete?

Thanks in advance.

Charles

PS Bear with me but I am not technical!!

 

[dstockton]

If the network you are trying to connect to is a domain then you are
probably out of luck. XP Home will not connect to a domain. If the
network is set up as a domain then on the other computers you will have
a log in that specifies a domain at the bottom of the screen. That will
verify pretty quickly whether that is the problem.
The "Enabled" message just means that XP loaded your Netgear adapter
correctly, not that it will connect to the network.
Win XP Home is not meant as a workplace OS. That is why they call it
"Home". Most people do not have a domain network behind a server at
home. I do, but I segregate my families XP Home computers from it by
routing them straight to the Internet, not through my domain
controller. Your connection apparently is going to a domain controller
to get to the internet.

 

[Gordon]

Using XP Home SP1 on a Toshiba laptop.
Located in a serviced office building where we connect to a central,
office based LAN connection to get internet access. We currently have 5
desktops attached to this system and have set up file and printer sharing
between them. We have now got an additional connection and have
successfully attached a laptop to it.
I have tried to connect an older laptop, running XP Home SP1, via a
NETGEAR adaptor.
The icon in the system tray shows it as connected at 100mbps. However, in
the Network Connections window the status is shown as "Enabled" and not as
"Connected". I cannot get onto the internet.
I cannot work out how to move the status from enabled to connected. If you
right-click the LAN connection icon and check Status, the window comes up
saying it is connected.
How can I get the connection to complete?

Thanks in advance.

Charles

PS Bear with me but I am not technical!!

Can you be a bit more specific about this "central office based LAN"? Is
this just in your office, how are the machines connected together, do all
the machines connect to a hub, and is one machine the "internet provider"?