Odd problem with laptop NIC? (experienced answers ONLY please)?

Question

My laptop is a Dell Latitude E6400, running Win. XP, Intel Core Duo 2, no connection problems until this just a moment ago.

When I plug the LAN cable in, under network connections, it is still saying that a network cable is unplugged. I have verified that it is NOT the cable or the plug in the switch where the cable connects. Both work fine on a different laptop so I know it is not the LAN cable or switch.

Now, in device manager, the NIC card shows no errors, no problems, and reports that it is functioning fine, yet, I still have no internet connection with a wired setup. I cannot ping anything either and I do not have any DNS addresses specified. The laptop is set to DHCP so should just be plug in LAN cable and get a connection.

I have tried disabling and re-enabling the NIC with no luck. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the NIC with no luck. Where do I go from here? The PC WILL get a connection via wireless, aircard, etc.

Again, to recap, I have verified it is NOT the LAN cable, PC is set to DHCP, can get wireless connection fine, device manager shows no problem with NIC, but any LAN cable does not work. The LAN cables and switch test fine for a connection with other PCs.

I have also reinstalled the NIC drivers with no change.

Any advice is greatly appreciated and thanks in advance. Best answer lands the 10!

Answer 1

Seems like this is an ongoing problem with that NIC (Dell forum on this):

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/network-internet-wireless/f/3324/p/19257660/19428048.aspx



In my experience, if there are sleep/power saving options for network devices, it is always best to set them to none/off as they make the NIC flakey. Lots of computers today ship as 'green' as possible and have power savings enabled everywhere.

Answer 2

There remains a slim chance that you have the wrong cable: not a bad cable, but perhaps a "crossover" cable when you need a "straight" cable. It's possible that the other computer you tested with has an auto-switching NIC, whereas your computer does not. So try a different cable, anyway.



It boils down to hardware or software. The positive report from Device Manager is not conclusive: a true diagnostic test would require that you install a loopback plug, at the very minimum. So, we can't rule out hardware. Device Manager is not a diagnostic program. Does your laptop NIC provide status lights near the Ethernet port (green and amber)? That would give you a clue.



You can try running different software. My first choice, if faced with this problem, would be to boot a Ubuntu "Live CD", and try to access the wired LAN from Linux, rather than Windows. Success would rule out a hardware problem.

Answer 3

why specific I even have, as a rely of actuality my little crimson nosed chum, after analyzing that a reliable 3 hundred and sixty 5 days blimp landed in my front backyard. out popped brian france,smoke, rowdy, and JR. they barged into my abode and smashed my pc to bits with tire irons. luckily i had a spare. communicate approximately peculiar habit. gee whiz.....