Mike
Response to Problem #1 (Unable to install hardware)
1st of all on the computer that is unable install hardware due to
software:
Your new ethernet card should have some kind of software that came with
it. Pop that disk into your cd-rom and install from their software.
This should resolve your issues of installing the hardware and getting
it to run. You may need to restart depending on the version of windows
you are running. If for some reason you did not get software with this
ethernet card click on the link below and choose the appropriate
download per the OS on the computer that is unable to install the hard
ware. Make sure you save somewhere like your desktop. Then burn the
file to a CD. Once done pop that CD into the computer that is having
the hardware install issues and open your cd-rom drive. Double click
on the file that you saved to the CD. Select the setup file and this
should execute the install from the D-Link software.
Here is the page for Network adapter - DFE-530TX+ (D-Link):
http://www.dlink.com/products/support.asp?pid=122&sec=0#drivers
Response to Problem #2 (Network cable unplugged)
This issue is a little more complicated than installing software from a
disk
1. Go to the back of your router and disconnect one of the RJ45 cables
running to a known working computer and then connect the computer with
the notification that network cable is unplugged into that port.
Reboot this computer and try and get online.
- This rules out real quick if it is a problem with a bad port on
your router real quick!
- If you CAN connect after reboot, you have 1 or more bad ports
on your router... time for a new one!!!
- If you are still UNABLE to connect something is going on inside
your computer. Keep trouble shooting!!! (Step 2)
2. Click run, type in "command" and press enter >>> dos screen pops up
(black screen) type in "ipconfig/all" press ENTER. Check out your
results... what we are concerned with in this screen is the IP address.
If you are pulling in 169.254.something.someting, or 0.0.0.0 your
ethernet adapter is not talking with your network. But if you pull in
a 192.168.something.something (Example: 192.168.0.4) your computer is
at least talking with your linksys 4 port router.
- If you pulled a 192.168.?.? address: type "ping 192.168.0.0"
and press ENTER. You should get 4 "reply from 192.168.0.1" replies
- This tells me that your computer IS talking with your router
but you can not get a web page loaded!!! So now we disable any
firewall software, anti-spyware software, anti-virus software. Once
this is done try and load your web pages again. Make sure you type an
address into your browser, such as
http://www.cnn.com . At this point
you should get something. If not there are more steps but you will
have to provide more data about your computer... OS version, Network
card information and any errors that occur during the steps outlined
above. This will help narrow down things dramatically!
- If you pulled a 169.254.?.? Go into your control panel -->
double click on system --> click on the hardware tab --> Click Device
manager --> scroll down to Network adapters and make sure you have that
category for starters if so when you double click on your network
adapter it should tell you that it is working properly. If not there
is a driver error or the ethernet card is busted and will need to be
replaced.
- One of the easiest fixes to correcting errors on ethernet cards
is to do the following but first make sure you have your software to
relaod your ethernet card drivers into windows. If so right click on
the ethernet adapter and select uninstall. Depending on your OS you
may need to reboot once uninstalled. Once this is done, you will need
to insert you disk that has the drivers for your ethernet card into
this computer and install the drivers. By doing this process it is
setting everything back to default that may have been somehow corrupted
or changed.
- Once your drivers have been successfully installed go check it
out. Control panel --> double click on system --> click on the
hardware tab --> Click Device manager --> scroll down to Network
Adapters. Should indicate it is working properly. Open up internet
explorer and give it shot. You may need to setup ID and configure your
internet settings. You are using a LAN (Broadband connection) that is
always ON.
- Hopefully you are browsing the web now if not, then run the dos
promt again that I described above. Run the ipconfig/all command and
see what you get. If you are pulling and 192.168.?.? ping the router
192.168.0.0. If you get replies shut down all spyware, antivirus,
firewall software runing on the computer this includes windows firewall
also.
Last things to try: Start --> Run --> type "netsh int ip reset
resetlog.txt" press ENTER
This will reset any corrupted or bad TCP/IP settings that your system
may have stored over time. I recommend doing this on all of your xp
computers from time to time as a mainance tip. Will keep things
running top notch.
If you are still having difficulties after the above submit what
happened with each step along with the OS on each of the computers...
This is important as win98/winME are different from win2K and XP is a
different creature from both of those from an administration
standpoint.
Good luck and I hope that this helped you out!!!
