generator advice

[Blue Thunder]

The first thing I would check is to make sure the switch on the generator is set to 240volts. If it’s set at 120 volts that will only power half of your panel.
Secondly you stated that you turned on the generator breakers. Plural. That doesn’t sound right. The method you are using is backfeeding the panel. It should be one double pole breaker 30 or 40 amps. It should have 2 wires usually one black and one red. Each is 120v. One powers the right side of the buss bar, the other powers the left. The wires going to the plug on the outside of the house should have a white neutral and a green ground. Those connections are in the panel as well. Hope this helps.