I have a mysql database named "drinks", in that database I have one table named "persons" and in "persons" I have two people, Bryan(fname) Fajardo(lname) 21(age) and Andross H Age:20.

In my index.php I have links set up from all of the people in table persons. 
I am trying to get my links to work so that when I click on either name, the information relevant from that person is outputted into my other page (where the link goes to) which is: insert.php.

I have been trying for hours to run some test by clicking on the Bryan link and outputting only his last name etc. etc. **My objective:** is to be able to link the people from "persons" table and then upon click go to insert.php and output that person's information there. 

Here is my current code from Index.php. 

```
<html>
<head>

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="style.css">
</head>
<body>

<?php
//Connect to the database
    $con = mysqli_connect("localhost","username","password","drinks");
    // Check connection
    if (mysqli_connect_errno()) {
      echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysqli_connect_error();
    }else{
        echo '<span style = "background: red ;">MSQL Connected.</span>' ;
    }

    $result = mysqli_query($con,"SELECT * FROM persons");

    while($row = mysqli_fetch_array($result)) {
    Print '<dd><a href=insert.php?
            fname="'.$row['fname'].'">'.$row['fname'].'</a></dd>';  
    }
    mysql_close();
    ?>

</body>
    </html>

```

and here is my Insert .php where I want the relevant information to be printed. 

```
<html>
<head>

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="style.css">

</head>
<body>
<div class = "full-header">
    <div class = "mid-header span12 center">

    </div>
</div>
<div class = "main-content-container full_w">
    <div class = "span12 main-content center">
        <?php
        $cont = mysqli_connect("localhost","username","password","drinks");
        // Check connection
        if (mysqli_connect_errno()) {
          echo "Failed to connect to MySQL: " . mysqli_connect_error();
        }else{
            echo '<span style = "background: red ;">yay</span>' ;
        }
        $fname = $_GET['fname'];

        $sel = ($cont,"SELECT * FROM persons WHERE fname ='%$fname%'");
        while($rower = mysqli_fetch_array($sel)) {
            Print $rower['lname'];
                            //why is this not printing Bryan's last name?
        }
        ?>
    </div>
    </div>

</body>
</html>

```

Thank you in advance, I appreciate the help, I have just recently gotten into php and database building/summoning.

EDIT: I also have been reading that this is becoming deprecated and PDO is going to be used now, if you have a solution that involves PDO, I would appreciate that as well, but I am very new to PDO.
EDIT 2: Changed "table" to "persons" in insert.php query.Still did not fix.