Yah, I may just have to get a newer box. The Ubuntu I tried was, I forget the version, downloaded it last spring and put it on a DVD.
This is a Dimension 4400, probably 6-8 years old, might be a waste of time.
Cabled to the router.
Yep - this is pretty darn old. There are linux distros that would run on it, but you would want to go get something from that era. The other issue is that any software so old is going to be loaded with security holes.