Are you able to connect to the internet with other computers? The fact that you can connect to the network but not the internet makes me first think the problem isn't with your server specifically.

btw, what kind of switch is that? It looks a lot like the one I have in my basement, lol

yeps all the other connections in the upstairs of the house work fine for the internet, as for the router it's a Netgear ProSafe VPN Firewall FVX538, the modem behind it I'm not really sure of the brand. as for my server it's an IBM x345 with 8 gigs of ram, dual 2.8Ghz intel xeon processors and 6x 36.4 gig 10k scsi hard drives in raid 5.

Do you have your IP set static in the server?
I would set it static and then try pinging that ip from another computer.

If that is successful, I would do a 'tracert' command from a command window to
an outside ip and see what the results are. Maybe ping your web server ip.

Let me know the results of these tests.

it wasn't set static but hadn't changed either, I just set it static though and can ping it from my desktop just fine, however when I try to run a tracert it times out after hitting the router.

ok so yea never mind lol I forgot when I redid my router setup that I activated the mac address filter, however that was to keep unauthorized systems from using the network and yet the server was still on the network. to be honest this is the first time Ive really messed with home networking so I'm still a noob at it, however now that Ive got it on the net it's not letting me activate windows said something about an incorrect dns.

ok so I still can't get windows to activate on the server, this is the error message I keep getting Activation Error: Code 0x8007232b DNS Name does not exist, Ive tried all the solutions I could find without any success.

What DNS are you using?
I would just use Google's.
PRI 8.8.8.8
SEC 8.8.4.4

Also make sure your time and date are set correctly.
You won't get activation unless they are.

I have no idea it's a clean install so I'm kinda walking into this blind.

you connecting by DHCP or static IP? (since it's a server I assume static)
If static you need to manually assign the DNS

it was set to dhcp but is set to static now, the dns assigned to it is the default router dns.

I know you said you could ping the server from your other computer... can the server get anywhere heading out on the internets?
go to command prompt and try
nslookup www.google.com
if that doesn't work it's probably DNS
if that does work ping google or something else on the internet and see if you get a reply... or just try connecting to something outside your network

if everything else works peachy fine and it's only Microsoft's activation page that is failing... dunno...

did the nslookup and it works fine that way, this is the error I'm getting on it now though.

I think KMS has something to do with enterprise level licensing...
Probably the key wants to report back to a licensing server that doesn't exist or something

Beyond my depth at this point, but some quick Googling turned up going to the system properties, selecting to change the product key, and re-entering it.

worth a try if you haven't already tried it, but no idea if it will work.

Ive tried that, an yea finding the activation for enterprise server to be rather retarded, I mean why not have it the same as the standard retail based operating systems.