can't connect to ethernet

Do you have any AOL-specific extensions or control panels installed? Open Extensions Manager and take a look. If you find any, and you don't use AOL, you may want to try disabling them.

When you open the TCP/IP control panel, the current configuration's name is shown in parentheses as part of the window name. To change that configuration, select "Configurations..." from the File menu. This will open a new window from which other configs can be chosen. One of those should be named "default" - try selecting it.

How are you connected to the Internet? DSL, Cable,...? Do you use a router?

Have you followed your ISP's instructions to the letter, either:

A) Connection: Using DHCP -OR-

B) Connection: Manually -AND- entering the cryptic numbers and letters for IP Address, Subnet Mask, Router Address, and two different set of DNS Address? -OR-

C) Connection: Using PPPoE -- which your Mac cannot do without a "helper" program or a Router?

Some ISP need the modem to be reset before accepting another machine connected directy to it especially cable ISP.

IF you had another machine connected to the modem. Try to connect the G4 and reset the modem. Then try again.

A+

Check to see which model G4 you have -
Article #58418 - Power Mac G4: How to Differentiate Between Models

The reason - if it is a G4 (AGP) or G4 (PCI) model, it does not have an auto-sensing ethernet port. This means that if the modem (or hub/switch/router, if you use one) does not have such a function, you must use a Crossover-type cable to connect the G4 directly to the modem; or, if you do use a hub/switch/router, you must use a Patch-type (also called Straight-through) cable.
Article #42717 - Apple products that require an Ethernet Crossover cable

Often, if a Crossover-type cable is not specifically ordered a Patch-type cable will be provided. The two kinds of cable are virtually indistinguishable - if the cable itself is not marked with which kind it is, examination of the color-coding of the wires in the end connectors will reveal that.
Ethernet Cable: Color Coding Standard

There are two varieties of Ethernet cables, straight and crossover. Your ISP will tell you which kind you should be using. If there are any connection or speed lights at the cable interface, they should come on when a "live" cable (wired the right way) is plugged in.

To determine which kind of cable you have in hand, closely examine the clear end connector. Inside it, you will see that the eight tiny internal wires are color coded. A straight cable has the same colors in the same order at each end. A crossover cable has two of the four pairs of wires swapped around, so that the colors will not appear in the same order.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category5cable

The order of the colors at ONE end is generally not important.

The litmus test is whether the wires at opposite ends of the same cable are the same (straight cable) or two pairs are swapped around (crossover cable). Be sure you are looking at it from the same side in each case -- the non-clip side gives the clearest view.

It sounds like you have described the "B" wiring shown on the Wikipedia page, with poor color difference between orange and brown and between blue and green.

In order for that to be a crossover cable, the center pair would stay the same, but the other wires would be wired as in the "A" diagram. So the sequence should be 1) White/green, 2) Green (looks a lot like blue), 3) White/orange 4) Blue 5) White/Blue 6) Orange (looks a lot like red) 7) White/brown 8) Brown (looks a lot like red)

Message was edited by: Grant Bennet-Alder