Internet Connection and Startup Error

I have a network running Win98SE and
recently I have been able to connect to the
internet, but I am constantly losing my
connection for no reason. I also recently
started getting a startup error "Mprexe" and I
have deleted the .pwl and restarted, I still get
this error at startup. The problem is getting so
bad I am contemplating erasing the system
and starting from scratch. Are there any
recommendations before I clean this puppy?