Cannot connect with dell 1397 Wireless-G?

Hi. Geez, where to start…..
I am in Southern California and I have my Aunt living in North Carolina. She just bought a DELL Inspiron 9PP41L (1545) laptop with hardly any computer or internet savvy. I’m trying to help her get on the internet. She has Wireless DSL. A router and a modem.
To complicate matters somewhat, I am using a desktop with WinXp Home Edition, Firefox Browser, ATT DSL and she is using the Dell laptop, Windows7, and Internet Explorer.


When she gets to desktop she is welcomed, then prompted to put in her username and password…that’s just to get onto windows. Windows 7 HOME Premium, Dell 1397 Wireless-G . I want to turn that off and all I want her to do is to open her computer, get to Internet Explorer, Go to her homepage. Then a window pops up saying, “INTERNET EXPLORER CANNOT CONNECT PROPERLY”. I had her go to IE>TOOLS>INTERNET OPTIONS>GENERAL TAB> HOME PAGE, and had her type in http://www.comporium (dot)com, APPLY,OK.

She restarts computer, another same message saying “Can not connect” pops up. I asked her if there was another internet EXPLORER on the desktop, she said yes, I told her to go to that HOME PAGE and see what it says….HTTP://HTPP://www.comporium.com. I had her try to highlight the first HTTP:// and DELETE it showing only one HTTP, APPLY, OK, then that same webpage changed to gotohhtp://http://www.comporium.com., and would not let her change that address.

Another problem is, the computer automatically opens Facebook, but the computer is telling her she is not connected??? How can she not be connected, but get to her Facebook?

She also had WINDOWS LIVE 7 MESSENGER that pops open when she gets to her desktop. IS THIS EVEN NECESSARY? She will not chat, but can she disable or even delete from programs if she does not use this? Could this be causing problems?

I tried talking to Comporium’s tech support, and he told me to go to connections tab in Tools> Internet Options ,and somehow turn OFF the WAN PPOE broadband, since she has WIRELESS, and not Broadband,but she could not see that anywhere.

Would going to the bottom of the Advanced tab in tools/internet options and click on RESET INTERNET EXPLORER SETTINGS help at all?

If any or all of this seems familiar, please send any suggestions, which would be much appreciated. Thank You!