[SOLVED] Network card does not recognize network/internet

[boonetrace]

I have a 3 year old Dell XPs 410 with Vista Home Premium. I set up a home network (modem + router) 3 years ago, and have a laptop connected to it through wireless connection, and another desktop via ethernet cable (in addition to the XPS which is conencted to the router throu an ethernet cable). For years, it worked perfectly. Then yesterday it suddenly stopped working, I could not access the internet. The pop up window says the network cable is not plugged in (it was plugged in). The other computers on my home network could access the net without any problem. I changed the cables around, and the cables were fine. I tried the following, without any effect:
1. Reset the modem, and router several times,
2. Applied system restore,
3. Called Dell's support, spent 90 minutes on the phone with them , tried everything they recommended, to no avail. They said that I would need to reinstall everything (peut it back into its original factory condition)
4. At first the little light at the place where the ethernet cable is plugged into the PC did not come on. Later yesterday it came on, but still no connection. The PC said it does not recognize any network. When I connected the cable directly to the XPS from the modem (cutting out the router), it said it recognized a local connection, but could not connect to the internet.
I would be grateful for any advice from the experts. I have a feeling that my network card is gone, and I am concerned to reinstall everything without trying some easier options. Thanking you again for your advice.

[johnwill]

Well, I'd start by reloading the drivers for the network card.

Next, I'd try this stack reset.

TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Windows Vista.

Start, All Programs\Accessories and right click on Command Prompt, select "Run as Administrator" to open a command prompt.

In the command prompt window that opens, type type the following commands:

Reset WINSOCK entries to installation defaults: netsh winsock reset catalog

Reset IPv4 TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log

Reset IPv6 TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. netsh int ipv6 reset reset.log

Reboot the machine.



Finally, let's see this with the a good cable connected to a known working port on the router.


Hold the Windows key and press R, then type CMD to open a command prompt:

In the command prompt window that opens, type type the following command:

Note that there is a space before the /ALL, but there is NOT a space after the / in the following command.

IPCONFIG /ALL

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter to copy the contents to the clipboard.
Paste the results in a message here.

If you are on a machine with no network connection, use a floppy, USB disk, or a CD-RW disk to transfer a text file with the information to allow pasting it here.

[boonetrace]

Dear johnwill,
Many thanks for the suggestions. I will try them today or tomorrow, and will let you know the outcome.

[boonetrace]

Dear johnwill,

1. I have uninstalled the network card's driver, then reinstalled, but made no difference.
2. Then I did the TCP/IP stack repair as you suggested - still no luck.
3. There is no light whatsoever at the back of the PC where the ethernet cable goes.
4. I have done the IPCONFIG - please see below what I got

I found it weird that when I uninstalled the network card's driver and rebooted the PC, it recognized the hardware, loaded the driver, but still it displayed that no cable is connected.

I would be grateful for any further suggestion.
Thanking you

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6001]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xxxx (I removed the PC's name from here)
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) 82566DC Gigabit Network Connecti
on
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-19-D1-E3-FC-BE
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 9:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

[johnwill]

If you get no light at all and the drivers are correct, you appear to have a hardware issue. It's either the cable, the port on the router, or the NIC in the machine.

[boonetrace]

The cable is OK, and the port is OK too (I checked those out). The weird thing is that when I connect the modem directly to the ethernet port on the PC (bypassing the router), the light DOES come on at the back of the PC, but there is no connection, and again it says: no cable is connected. Do you think that restoring the PC to its original configuration (as Dell's tech support said) would work? Thnaking you for your advice.

[johnwill]

Actually, I tend to doubt it.

Let's see this.


Hold the Windows key and press R, then type devmgmt.msc

Please respond to all the following steps.

1. Under Network adapters, please tell me all the devices listed.
2. Are there any devices under Network adapters that have a red x displayed?
3. Also, are there any devices anywhere in the Device Manager display with yellow ? or ! displayed?

[boonetrace]

1. Intel(R) 82566DC Gigabit Network Connection
2.none
3.none

[boonetrace]

Some further information which might be of help:

Since XPS Premium tech support insisted that I restore the PC to its original factory-condition, I did it, but to no avail. Then this morning I brought the PC to work, plugged in the ethernet cable, and it did not recognize it. So I think that the network card is the culprit, since my regular work PC works well and can access the internet here at work, and at home all the other PC can access the net. Thanking you

[boonetrace]

FINAL MESSAGE ON THIS POST:
I have again talked to Dell's premium tech support, and finally they concluded that (just as I have been telling them), that the network card is no longer working properly. However, since it is integrated into the motherboard, they would need to replace the whole thing (motherboard). It is still within the warranty, so they are going to come out and fix it.
JOHNWILL, thank you very much again for all your help! Please close this thread.

[johnwill]

Glad you figured it out. It sure sounded like the NIC all along.