Let's start with the basics: when you connect the ethernet, do you see a link light on the Receiver? Do you see one on the switch or hub?

There are two main problems with Receiver ethernet connectivity. The first is that the ethernet chipset isn't particularly forgiving, which is what all of the suggestions about trying a different switch or hub are about. If you're getting a link light, then this is not your problem, so let's rule that out first.

For what it's worth, we used Netgear FS108 and DS108 switches while developing the Receiver, and they're solid. If you can get hold of one of those, this is a good way to rule out ethernet link issues.

The second problem is usually caused by firewalls. When we originally wrote the software (are you using the original, stock software, or one of the third-party projects?), firewalls weren't nearly as common -- we were developing against Windows 98 and (ick) ME as a baseline, to put this into context. It sounds like you've tried it with your firewall turned off, so let's concentrate on the link issue first...

Once we've got that sorted, we can tell you how to open the relevant holes in your firewall.