Optiplex 320 network problems

If the 320 is using the same network card for both local and Internet access, and it can connect to the Internet, then the network card is fine. Are you sure the other machine is up and running? Can you ping its IP address?

#1 the other machine is up and running.
#2 How do I tell if the machine is using the same network card for local and internet.
#3 I haven't tried to ping it but will when i get back to work

Thank you very much for your reply - I'm a Mac guy so this DELL stuff is foriegn to me

In most cases, a machine has a single network connection, either wire or wireless, to a router, which in turn is connected to the Internet. You can verify which adapters are active by checking the Network Connections control applet, it typically will show only ONE network adapter is Connected. If you’re trying to reach another machine, it MUST be connected to the same router (either directly, or indirectly through other daisy-chained switches). They also have to be on the same subnet (e.g., share the same three octets in the IP address, such as 192.168.0.x). Since this was apparently working until recently, all this should be the case. But if someone changed the network in some way that you’re unaware of, then that might explain the problem. I just wanted you to try a PING because it’s the most basic way to verify minimal connectivity.