Name resolution and network card problem. Please help!

I have just started working at the public library in my hometown. The librarian has only been here one year. She is trying to update our system, however, it takes time. That said we have a LAN running on a Windows NT 4 server. I have a workstation running Windows XP Home edition. I can ping the loop back and the IP of the workstation, but I cannot ping the server or the wireless server. I am unable to ping anywhere on the network using a name nor can I ping any web addresses using a name. Also nslookup doesn't work. All the troubleshooting I have done leads me to believe that this is a name resolution issue. However, nothing I have found tells me how to fix the problem. We are using static IP addresses. Also because I am unable to Ping the server this could be a network card problem. Is this possible? Would replacing the card also fix the name resolution issue? How do I fix the name resolution issue? Please keep in mind that I am new at this and a girl. I need step by step help. Please help anyone!

Hi Lissie, welcome to Firewall.cx
Don't apologise for being a girl; you have that in common with around 50% of the planet!
First of all, can you ping anything other than your loopback address - your server perhaps, another PC close by on the same part of the network or a network device such as a switch or hub - by it's IP address only? If you can then your network card must be working and you probably do have a name resolution issue. But if you can't then either the card isn't working, your machine isn't configured right or you may have a physical connection problem. Try the above, and let us know what happens. Also, bring up a command prompt on your PC, type in ipconfig /all and let us know what information it comes back with

Also if you are going to try and add the Windows XP Home Edition to the Windows NT Domain i think you will struggle. Windows XP Home doesn't come with that kind of network support and you will need to use Windows XP Professional Edition.

Cheers

You guys aren't going to believe this, but the problem is solved. We hooked another computer up at that workstation and found that we had the same problem. This led to an examination of the switch. I switched ports on the router and problem solved. Thanks for your help!

Excellent. That suggestion was coming later depending on your initial reply. Glad you sorted it out