Linux Mint Forums

I'm using a netgear wireless router (but using a lead)

Please explain
For wifi take a look at the wiki
http://www.linuxmint.com/wiki/index.php/MintWifi

I think curtiswtaylorjr misread you.
I have only seen someone not connecting with wire once with Mint I think (with other distros it's a different story I fail miserably to connect with wire in one)
First we have to establish if you can connect to your router
Do you know it's IP - you have to use it to set it up - probably 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1
(On a sidenote - all you out there if you have not changed the default password of your broadband router do so immediately!)
If you can ping the router and/or reach it's set up page the it's probably a problem described and solved here
http://www.linuxmint.com/wiki/index.php ... e_programs

I mean the internal admin password - however if there is such an abomination as a default password for the WPA/WEP key change it asap - but if you have not changed the internal admin password anyone can change anything in the router including WPA key
In both cases to avoid that some nasty person hijacks you connection and causes trouble