You fail to mention if the Internet connection was wired or wireless? You also fail to mention the make and model of the laptop?
I suggest you go to the laptop manufacturers website (on another computer) and look for driver downloads for the laptop modem. The laptop should have included a driver disk when you got it, you may want to check on that if you have it. My guess is you have not installed the laptop Ethernet or LAN drivers.
Fine and the rest of my questions? Try something. Open the device manager. Windows 7 and Vista click Start and Right Click Computer from the menu. Choose Manage. That opens Computer Management. In the left pane expand System Tools and choose Device Manager. In the right pane expand Network Adapters. Make sure there are no little yellow exclamation points beside your network adapters.
The Network Connection is Wireless, I assume you mean MSIE (Microsoft Internet Explorer) is the browser? That says about nothing.
If you have Windows XP I suggest a Google to open the Device Manager.
My best guess is you do not have the drivers for the LAN connection installed. Nobody here can help you if you don't help yourself. Did you go to the manufacturers website as I suggested and look for LAN drivers?
You need to get into the device manager as I suggest and look for yellow exclamation marks beside the devices.