Let's say my setup looks like this:

(WindowsXP PC) <--> (Custom Router) <--> (Linksys Switch) <-->
(Linksys Router) <--> (Cable Modem) <--> (Internet)

I'm wondering what information about each of those devices (MAC
address, brand, that they exist, etc.) can be obtained *from the Windows PC*.

Are there programs or utilities I can run on the PC to tell me that
they all exist?  Can I get information about each device between myself
and the Internet?

thanks

if you are trying to access this via home. then you should have admin
priv to the routers.

then you can hit the router admin console in a browser (e.g http://192.168.0.1 )

a) simply open the cmd prompt (start --> run --> type "cmd" without quotes)
b) type "ipconfig" (again withouth quotes)
c) note the i.p address for the "default gateway"
d) type that ip address in a browser. and login using the requisite
credentials. If you have never reset the admin password. it is
probably still the generic password shipped by factory defaults. in
that case refer to the manual or a quick search on google would do
too.

Then after you login to the routers. You can go about finding all
sorts of information about it as such.

hope this helps. 

take Care

Hi,

Right, that tells me info about one of the routers (the one closest to
the modem)...but what about all the other possible devices between us?

It looks like you're trying to identify the equipement between
yourself and the Internet.

In addition to kohinoor's suggestion, you can use the TRACERT command.
It takes one argument, the destination you would like to trace to.
Open a command prompt and type "tracert www.google.com" (without the
quotes). The answer will show the IP address of each piece of
equipement between your PC and google.com.

Hope this helps.

tracert only shows me the first router, the one the computer is
directly connected to.