gateway laptop ethernet drivers

i just reformatted and reinstalled windows on both my m-6864fx (vista64) and 6448m (xp32) and i am having some trouble connecting via cat-5. i can connect just fine with the wireless drivers but for some reason my ethernet cable is just not taking. as far as i can tell my drivers are up to date, (realtek) though maybe thast not even it. it cant be that both my ethernet ports and/or cables and/or cards are dead, i just cant figure it out. is there anyway my router is blocking ports 2-5 or something? this is really frustrating guys.

Is your "wireless" turned on or off? That may cause a conflict.

Have you tried Gateway's website? It's a little confusing to navigate, but all the drivers should be on there.

Another FANTASTIC website that should solve all your problems (if Gateway's can't) is www.notebookreview.com . Go to the Gateway section of the forums and there's more information than you'll ever need.

BTW, I have the same computer and I love it. Also have a 7811fx.