How to wipe all network settings

[Spix73]

Hello, I use Linux Mint on three different laptops in my home (two with kernel 3.11.0-12-generic, Mint 16 Petra and the other one, not tested with network yet, with kernel 3.8.0-19-generic, Mint 15 Olivia), all linked via wifi to the router, and lately I have changed my internet provider and then my modem/router as well (the old one was branded by the old provider, so it won't work with the new one).
Of course I needed to set all the networking stuff inside the new modem (now I have two separate devices, an ADSL modem with a single Ethernet output an d a wifi router with a single Ethernet input, four Ethernet outputs and the wifi antennas of course - both received from a friend of mine who used them time ago with a third network provider), so I took one of the three, an Asus eee 900, and linked it via Ethernet to the new modem and entered through Firefox inside the usual page (192.168.1.1) of modem's settings to link it to the new provider.
After a while, the connection seemed to work, at least via Ethernet in direct link (not through router), and the telephone assistance of my provider saw no networking issues on their side of the cable.
The problem was that the new modem was a branded one as well, so every time I made some error in changing the settings it blocked its link with the Asus and didn't answer anymore to my request. I could only switch it off phisically and on again, causing it to revert to its factory settings (my friend's login credentials and settings for his provider) and I had to change all settings again. The same kind of problem came when I tried to link the wifi router, also if I was linked through Ethernet again. Not to say wifi connection - I also have two smartphones and yet I couldn't link them. At this moment I'm connecting to the internet through one of my smartphones, used as a wifi hotspot, and the only PC that wasn't used to check/change modem settings.
I won't tell all the changes and attempts I made - they have been too many and probably I made a mess. All I can say is the final result - both on the Asus eee and on the Acer (the other laptop, working only via wifi) the network doesn't work anymore.
In the meanwhile I have changed the modem with another one (the same brand of my current provider) and kept the same router.

On the Asus the icon of network manager has disappeared completely from the 'clock zone', I have also tried to follow a suggestion on a forum:

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sudo service network-manager stop
sudo rm /var/lib/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.state
sudo service network-manager start

but the answer was

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Impossible to resolve the host eespix

(eespix is the name of my pc). When I reboot I see that the booting is slow because it's trying to configure the network but fails after a couple of minutes, then warns it will boot without network confuguration. Currently it doesn't see nor Ethernet link nor wifi - even my smaprtphone's hotspot.

On the Acer, the network manager icon is present but it doesn't work ('disconnected' icon, if right-clicked all lines are in grey and allows only VPN settings). No wifi souces are seen (including neighbors' ones) although the wifi antenna is on (for some time i couldn't even switch it on, also through physical switch). I'd prefer not to move it from its place to link it through Ethernet because its battery doesn't work and I stop it seldom - it's not a server but works "like a server".

The main attempts were made on the eee anyway. On the PC I've made changes both on 'Network settings' and 'Network', while on the modem I tried several combinations including settings about IP (staic/dynamic), kind of link (PPPoE/PPPoA), IP routing, manually added MAC addresses, IP conflicts between machines/router/modem, DHCP/manual IP settings, MTU, tunneling, subnet mask, and several other attempts and changes, until I lost control of everything. I guess I made a total mess. Now I can't even set up the newest modem because the network capabilities of both laptops have gone. Now I'll try to set at least the modem and provider's connection using this third laptop - my mother's one - hoping it will dialogue with the modem, at least via Ethernet.

So I think the best thing to do would be to completely wipe all network settings on both PCs and configure everything from basic, neutral condition. How could I do this?
Another question: when I have separate modem and router, does the router have another IP address? And to which address should the PCs and smartphones refer to?
Last question: why is networking so complicated?

Thanks everyone!

PS - on the eee now I see the Network Manager in the traybar but with the same behavior as the Acer.
PS n° 2 - on my mother's PC the connection works perfectly with the newest modem and I can access the internet, both with Ethernet and wifi.

[Spix73]

Hi, currently I am connecting through the Acer laptop using my smartphone with USB tethering. The wifi led is on at boot, but if I use the switch on the case to turn it off (it's a slider that returns always in the same position when operated, so sliding it means 'on' and 'off' alternately) then I'm not able to turn it on anymore - I have to reboot. Right-clicking on network manager icon and flagging/unflagging 'enable wifi' (when the led is on) has no effect. Actually it seems a miracle that the connection through tethering works (faster than I thought, indeed). I've not tried Ethernet connection yet, I'll do it.

Anyway browsing about this issue has led me to a Wiki page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lspci) and moreover, to the line that reads

If many devices are shown as unknown (e.g. "Unknown device 2830 (rev 02)), issuing the command 'update-pciids' will usually correct this.

so I first gave

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sudo lspci

and got this

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00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Memory Controller Hub (rev 09)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)
00:1a.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #6 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 93)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation ICH9M LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801IBM/IEM (ICH9M/ICH9M-E) 4 port SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 03)

After that, I gave

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sudo update-pciids

and after some seconds, the result was

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Downloaded daily snapshot dated 2014-11-23 03:15:02

of which I don't know the meaning.
After this, I gave again

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sudo lspci

and this time the result was different:

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00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Memory Controller Hub (rev 09)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)
00:1a.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #6 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 93)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation ICH9M LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801IBM/IEM (ICH9M/ICH9M-E) 4 port SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5764M Gigabit Ethernet PCIe (rev 10)
03:00.0 Network controller: Qualcomm Atheros AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)
0d:06.0 CardBus bridge: O2 Micro, Inc. Cardbus bridge (rev 01)
0d:06.2 SD Host controller: O2 Micro, Inc. Integrated MMC/SD Controller (rev 02)
0d:06.3 Mass storage controller: O2 Micro, Inc. Integrated MS/xD Controller (rev 03)

note that the list has become longer and includes all the drivers that have to do with networking - and they weren't included in the first list.
Anyway the wifi connection still doesn't work (led light off and not changeable). I'm gonna try to reboot to check whether the system loads the 'new' devices.

PS - I've just made reboot. At boot the wifi LED is on but there's no network manager icon in the taskbar. There is no internet connection. The icon appears only when I activate the tethering on my smartphone. After switching off tethering, the icon becomes the one meaning 'no connection'. Anyway 'sudo lspci' command produces a list that includes the drivers for networking like the second attempt of this command before reboot.