>> So I finally think it's a hardware issue. >> >> Thanks for all the input. >Routers normally have their own static addresses (different for >different router companies) which allows you access their configuration >interface. Some network-admins at my job examined the router and it looks like a hardware issue. Not only did they confirm the LED lights are very dim, but they couldn't detect the router using any hardware / OS / computer / network cable. So thanks again all for your help. I'll go to Microcenter soon and purchase a nice new LinkSys router. I heard someone mention NFS and static-IP addresses. So I'll start playing in that ballpark and see how far I can go.