Help with IP - sending packets PC to FPGA

I am working on a remote-operated vehicle project that requires sending packets back and forth between a PC and a Cyclone II FPGA. Thus far, I've tried example projects DE2_NET (on Altera's website, also used at UMass-Amherst), DE2_WEB (web server example offered by Terasic), and toyed with some source code for lwip, all on a DE2 evaluation board. One major problem is that I do not have the NIOS II EDS full version, so I don't have MicroC/OS-II, I think I need to find a way to do this without lwip (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

I modified the DE2_NET project to send packets to my PC's MAC address (I've assigned the MAC address for the Cyclone II), but I don't know how to get the PC to receive the packets. I've run Ethereal to monitor network traffic, I can see the packets but they read as being sent from the PC to unknown destination, seems as though the PC can't resolve the source MAC address (they are connected over a LAN, not directly), and I don't know what IP address the DE2's been assigned.

1) Can someone tell me how to assign an IP address to the FPGA without using lwip?

2) Is there a way I can ping a MAC address directly to see if my connections are correct?

3) Any other tricks I should know about passing packets in and out of the NIOS II? Keep it simple if possible, I've only been using this board for a couple weeks now.

Thanks!