LAN problems
 

My new mobo has Gigabit LAN. It shows connected, but it's not. I've changed every setting I can find.

Service guy from ISP came and hacked at it. Gave me a PCI-card and left. It works. Should I return the mobo? I have around 15 days left to return. I tested all parts on table top, but the lan. !@#

I sure hate to undo my new build. Tnxs bb



50

The drivers
 

Busterb,

Have you installed the latest drivers?

Are you connecting directly to the cable or dsl modem?

If you are, its more than likely an interfacing issue between you and the cable modem. I've seen perfectly good nic cards go south with cable or dsl modems that cut corners on following standards.

There's a reason why I like realtek 8139 pci network cards for any interfacing with cable or dsl modems when I have to. The card is cheap and works with everything you can throw at it.

Try the latest drivers. You really don't need to return the mb. Chances are its the other device :).

Mitch

Have latest drivers. It works w/pci card. I noticed one place in settings for an address, but which one? IP, maybe MAC. I'll take a screen shot and post. bb

This is why better computer manufacturers provide comprehensive hardware diagnostics. You don't even know if the problem is Vista, a wrong driver, or hardware. With each unknown, the problem becomes exponentially more complex.

So we simplify the problem. Break a problem down into parts; then diagnose each separately. Load and execute hardware diagnostic. Diagnostic does not use Vista and does not require 'correct' driver. It simply confirms hardware integrity.

Well this NIC is part of motherboard. Clone computer motherboard manufacturers tend not to provide diagnostics. However the NIC IC manufacturer may. For example, what is the manufacturer name provided by Device Manager or what are manufacturers of those other 'big chip' ICs. They may have hardware diagnostics for ethernet port.

Your problem is exactly why better manufacturers provide comprehensive hardware diagnostics for free. Without those diagnostics, then you (and the tech) must guess what is and is not working. IOW problem gets exponentially more complex. Any hardware diagnostic for that gigabit ethernet port will go a long way to breaking down your problem. Currently we can only guess whether ethernet hardware is defective.

Is the onboard LAN enabled in the BIOS? It should be by default but maybe it got changed somehow.

Since I built it myself. It probably doesn't come under better computer manufacturers.:) The MoBo is an ASUS M2N4 w/NIVDIA drivers. Where do I find this hardware diagnostic utility?The BIOS has been enabled, and disabled numerous times. Tnxs. bb 51

Was it here I read NIVDIA and Vista were having newlywed problems? :confused:

Speed/Duplex settings
 

In the Speed/Duplex settings (which we saw in your screenshot), make sure that it's not set to Auto. Set it to 10-BaseT Full Duplex and see what happens if you're directly connected to the cable modem.

I have had this exact issue with the HP Proliant servers and their network cards (which are rebranded Intel cards). If you didn't set the NIC cards to 100-BaseTX with full duplex, certain enterprise backup programs stopped working and so did your NIC.

This gets to be a pain if you're running a Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition cluster and you're always wondering why your primary node went down :(.

The newer network cards do require a manual setting for that, even though Auto should pick it up. That Realtek 8139 will work anywhere, and the tech who put it in knew what he was doing.

If you put a router between the two and set the NIC to 100-base TX full duplex, it will work. I have two machines on my home network with Gigabit Ethernet working that way, and am typing this message from one right now.

However, let's start with manually setting it to 10-baseT full duplex and work up from there :).

Thanks,

Mitch

First. I'm using XP-PRO. Mitch I set it to 10-BaseT Full Duplex, still showing connected. NOT. Have been to Asus site, forums, FAQs no help. Last LAN drivers were a ris zip file for remote use, which I no speak. bb I'll check version on drivers again.

The spec. for my LAN. NVIDIA nForce®4 SLI™ MCP built-in Gigabit MAC with external Attansic PHY
Support TCP/IP Acceleration. bb

53

This is useful information. Now look on that motherboard. Find the Nvidia chip. Look for its part number such as Mxxxx where xxxx are four digits. Then look here for furthermore information:
http://www.nvidia.com/page/uli_drivers.html
http://www.nvidia.com/page/pg_20030918437537.html
http://www.nvidia.com/page/search.html?keywords=gigabit

Upon quick glance, I don't see any diagnostics from this manufacturer. Asus (and I don't remember) may offer diagnostics but charge for them. Above might provide the latest drivers.

Well appreciate why an industry that no longer understands basic diagnostic procedures also no longer provides hardware diagnostics. A shame because you are now a victim. We cannot even tell is the MCP chip is defective.

That Nvidia communication chip actually uses something called Hypertransport bus but appears to Windows as if on PCI bus (just like that external card). If the hardware was problematic, then other functions such as USB port may also not operate. These many functions are in the same hardware. Yes, some failures could make only the gigabit port not work - again why we really need diagnostics - why we are still speculating rather than solving.

Well, maybe look at some of the latest drivers direct from Nvidia to see if your driver version numbers are same.

tw thanks. Were did you find page for uli drivers? ULI = ulity? I'll check chip numbers later today and see. bb

54

I entered expressions from your post such as MCP and Gigabit in the Nividia web site and only stumbled on those drivers.

Nividea web site is an example of how an English major or graphics artist might do it. It is confusing, poorly information, deceving, and apparently structured by one who never learned what the products do; only understand buzz words.


For example, what does ULi stand for? I have not a clue - and either did the web programmer apparently.

My IP modem came with a cat 5 utp 2 pair cable. A cat 5E 4 pairs won't work on 2-k mach. Which works with 5 2 pair. I've not tried it on new XP yet. 5-E doesn't work on XP w/pci card. So is it old modem or am I doing the apples and oranges (WTF) thing?

Could this be the problem with it showing connected and not on new MoBo? Am I trying to connect a 2 pair modem to a 4 pair motherboard? :tinfoil: This post doesn't makes any sense to me, maybe someone else.:bolt: bb

55, but this SOB is about to send me to beer store. NOT!!--= yet.

I don't believe the modem has a gigabit interface. Therefore the ethernet card will downgrade itself to a slower version that would be compatible with the 2 wire UTP cable.

Meanwhile there would be lights (usually) on both ethernet ports (modem and computer). What do those lights report?

TW. I can connect new mach using a pci card my IP guy gave me. Both machs connect w/cat 5 2pair. new one is setup for Gigabit, which uses 5E. Right? If so I need to con IP out of a new modem.
Thanks bb 55 and holding.