My PC won't access the Internet, and I'm wondering if it's my network card

[fishwax]

I have a cable modem and a wireless router, and I had my Desktop wired to the router and the laptop using the wireless for internet access.

Saturday afternoon it stopped working. The laptop was still picking up the signal from the router, but was unable to aquire the network address. The PC would not load any web pages, nor would it load the router page when I entered the Router's address.

So I called my ISP and spent an hour or so trying to figure this out. They were able to see the router and the modem, but no PC, even when I disconnected the router and plugged the modem directly into the PC. When I plugged the modem into the laptop, they could see the laptop and I was able to access the Internet. I then tried to call the router customer service, but after waiting on hold for half an hour I simply had to get some work done and so since then I have been using the wired modem through the laptop.

Now I'm wondering about my PC, as even when connected directly to the modem it doesn't seem to communicate. The LAN connection (along with all the other icons) are missing from the "Networks Connections" folder in the Control Panel, but that has been true for several months now; I can still see the network card on the Device Manager, and it says it is working properly. When I plug my ethernet cable into the back of my PC, the green light behind the connection comes on, yet it will not connect to the Internet.

I guess I need to reconnect it as I had it before and try the support line from the router company again, but I was wondering if anyone had any other ideas or suggestions.

Also, if my network card is bad, how difficult would that be to replace?

Thanks for any help/advice.

[salvorhardin]

1. Network card

Easy to replace if it's a separate card, impossible if it's integrated into the motherboard. You can always add a network card though. They're dead easy to install and dirt cheap (~$5-15).

I'd try removing the network card from the Network Connections section in your control panel, plugging the computer back into the router and then adding the network again. If that doesn't solve the problem just buy another network card and install that.

[fishwax]

3. Thanks for the advice. (couple more questions ...)

1st, this is probably a dumb question, but how do I tell if it's integrated into the motherboard (thus making it impossible)?

2nd, regarding the Network Connections section, the icon is already missing from there (and has been for months). How do I add it again? Should I uninstall it from the Device Manager and then reinstall it? Would that be the same as your suggesting?

Thanks again :)

[jayfish]

2. I Would Check To See If...

somehow your NIC got set to use a static IP address. If this is the case, change it so that it acquires it's address via DHCP.

Jay

[fishwax]

4. hwo do I do that?

Can I check that under properties?

[jayfish]

5. What OS Are You Using?

Jay

[fishwax]

6. Windows XP

[jayfish]

7. OK,...

-Right-click "My Network Places" and select "Properties"
-Right-click "Local Area Connection" and select "Properties"
-Double-click "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)"

"Obtain an IP address automatically" should be checked. If it is not, check it. If it is already checked, something else needs to be looked at.

Click "OK" twice and reboot.

Lemmie know,

Jay

[fishwax]

8. alas, when i

right-click "my network places" in the desktop folder and select proprties, it opens the Network Connections folder, and there are no icons in that folder. (This folder has been empty since well before the time the whole thing stopped functioning on Saturday.)

:argh:

[jayfish]

9. Sorry,...

I should have seen that above. It looks like your PC (or at least Windows)no longer sees your network adapter. I don't have time to go into it right now, but give me a bit and we can continue.

Jay

[fishwax]

10. thank you, I appreciate it

whenever you get the chance, I'm in no big rush, just glad to have the help :)

I don't know if this means anything, but I also have a TV Tuner card (PCI interface like the network card) that can't be found either. (This problem has been around longer; I don't know whether that might be related at all ... )

[jayfish]

11. Alright,...

let's start by getting rid of any references to the missing cards from device manager. You obviously can't see them so we need to make them visible. To do that:

-right-click on "My Computer" and select "Properties"
-Select the "Advanced" tab
-Select "Environment Variables"
-Under "System Variables", select "New".
-Input "devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices" in the "Variable name:" field.
-Input "1" in the "Variable value:" field.
-Click "OK" twice
-Select the "Hardware" tab
-Select "Device Manager"
-In Device Manager, select "View"
-Select "Show Hidden Devices"
-Delete any references to the missing PCI cards and return to the desktop.

Now there are a few ways to go about the next part.

1)You can reboot and see if Windows will re-detect both cards.
2) You can shut-down the computer, pull the TV tuner card and see if XP will re-detect the NIC then shut-down again and re-insert the tuner card for re-detection.
3) Finally you can shut-down, pull both cards and relocate the NIC to another PCI slot, re-detect the NIC then do the same for the tuner card.

I think that since your NIC has worked in the PCI slot that it currently occupies,(and your comfortable mucking around the inside of your PC) option two is your safest bet.


Good luck

Jay

[fishwax]

12. woohoo! i'm connected again

Option 1 worked :woohoo: on the restart it recognized both the network card and the TV tuner, and now have my original network setup working. The TV tuner/capture card, though it appears to be working properly according to the device manager, still provides no picture, but the network was my main concern :woohoo:

Thanks a bunch for your help :toast:

[jayfish]

13. Your Very Welcome.

Enjoy!

Jay

[jayfish]

14. One More Thing.

This might happen again and your tuner card is probably the culprit. See, even thought they are in different slots, those slots might be shareing IRQ lines. Computers and OS's are much better at IRQ sharing than they used to be. Even so, some PCI devices don't like to share and network cards are notorious offenders. The solution can be twofold; relocate one of the cards (preferably the tuner)or disable motherboard hardware like serial and parallel ports. When you disable the hardware you are freeing up IRQ's that your motherboard may be able to allocate to the PCI slot your turner is currently occupying. Limitations in current PC architecture and/or your motherboard my prevent that from working though.

Jay