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Laptop nic

penfold
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 2,280
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Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Laptop nic

Ive got a laptop I have been upgrading some software on, and instead of using wireless I used an ethernet cable. Odd thing was nothing happened. No lights on the nic at all. Windows reports device working ok, but I get no connectivity.  Inhave disabled wireless but still nothing. Checked power settings, and its also on ac power. Also tried an ubuntu cd I had, still the same with a slight difference. When a cable plugged in every so oftern 1 light blihks green and then the other blinks very fast orange about 3 times then nothing. Linux also reports no cable connected. I suspect a hardware failure but wondered if anyone here has any ideas. 
10 REPLIES 10
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
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Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Laptop nic

Try another cable?

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

nanotm
Pro
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Registered: ‎11-02-2013

Re: Laptop nic

i'd try another cable, also try getting the newest drivers for the nic
just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Laptop nic

Is there an option to disable it in the laptop firmware which needs changing?
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
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VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
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Re: Laptop nic

Silly question - but is the cable plugged in at both ends?
Test the cable on a spare computer or other internet device.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

penfold
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 2,280
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Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Laptop nic

Hi
Thanks for the replys. I had already tried a spare cable, but just to be on safe side tried another, still nothing.  Cables work on another device fine.
Checked the BIOS, and the LAN controller etc are all enabled.  I did think it was some kind of silly power management thing, but I switched the laptop to High perfomance, and had it on AC power, still nothing.  I have even gone to the trouble of actually removing the Wireless adapter.
With regards to the drivers, running the search for updates via windows, tells me its the most up to date driver. On the Tosh site, I have tried the vista driver, after uninstalling the one from microsoft. Still zilch.
Its this odd vey intermittant flashing of the NIC lights, thats leading me to be thinking a hardware issue, maybe conection gone bad on the MOBO. Dont really want to pull the thing apart.
nanotm
Pro
Posts: 5,756
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Registered: ‎11-02-2013

Re: Laptop nic

Well cheap and simple option would be to get a usb to lan adapter, ebay often has many cheap versions available as does amazon, most mainstream PC sites either don't offer them or charge over the odds for them.
Just have to go into power management advanced settings and ensure usb selective suspend is set to off.
just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
penfold
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 2,280
Thanks: 25
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Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Laptop nic

Do those things actually work?  Surely they can't carry the data a 1gig or 100mb link can.
GG
Grafter
Posts: 36
Registered: ‎06-09-2015

Re: Laptop nic

The adapters work as (to me at least) a temporary measure and as a means of testing.
I keep one in my network tool kit. Never know when it could come in handy.
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
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Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Laptop nic

Since you have wireless isn't this going to beat a USB gadget?

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

twocvbloke
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 6,399
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Registered: ‎06-11-2014

Re: Laptop nic

Probably a silly sounding question, but, when you push the plug into the socket, is it making a click when pushed all the way in? If not, it could be that the socket is damaged and can't lock the plug in place, my Lenovo T61 has a damaged socket and it too acts like described here if I don't hold the plug in...