Dead NIC card?

[Mike]

I have a wired Belkin NIC card that vanished from Device Manager. I tried to
reinstall in another PCI slot but XP only recognizes it as a "PCI device"
and the drivers won't automatically install. When I first bought the card XP
installed the drivers automatically. Is this card dead?

 

[philo]

I have a wired Belkin NIC card that vanished from Device Manager. I tried to
reinstall in another PCI slot but XP only recognizes it as a "PCI device"
and the drivers won't automatically install. When I first bought the card XP
installed the drivers automatically. Is this card dead?

Sounds like it may have failed .

They are inexpensive enough to replace

 

[Grinder]

I have a wired Belkin NIC card that vanished from Device Manager. I tried to
reinstall in another PCI slot but XP only recognizes it as a "PCI device"
and the drivers won't automatically install. When I first bought the card XP
installed the drivers automatically. Is this card dead?

Sounds like it. Just go out in the street and pick up another.

 

[philo]

Sounds like it. Just go out in the street and pick up another.

LOL...

Too bad it's winter (assuming north hemisphere)
best time for computers at the curb...is summer!@

 

[kony]

LOL...

Too bad it's winter (assuming north hemisphere)
best time for computers at the curb...is summer!@

Yep, though you can get one from Newegg.com / etc for about
$6 delivered. Often when I see NICs fried there was a surge
though the switch on the other end and it's port is gone too
(so if switching the NIC doesn't fully resolve the problem,
a different switch port might need tried, hopefully it
isn't a direct link to a modem jack so there's no other port
for a trial)

 

[GT]

I have a wired Belkin NIC card that vanished from Device Manager. I tried
to reinstall in another PCI slot but XP only recognizes it as a "PCI
device" and the drivers won't automatically install. When I first bought
the card XP installed the drivers automatically. Is this card dead?

Perhaps something else has caused this problem. Have you tried installing
the drivers manually. From memory... In Device manager, find the PCI card in
the list and go through the install drivers process, only choose the
'manual' option. Browse (might be a button "I have a disk") to the location
of the drivers for the network card (there should be an INF file in there
somewhere). If XP complains about digitally signed drivers, then just click
the button along the lines of 'just do it anyway'.

 

[Paul]

I have a wired Belkin NIC card that vanished from Device Manager. I tried to
reinstall in another PCI slot but XP only recognizes it as a "PCI device"
and the drivers won't automatically install. When I first bought the card XP
installed the drivers automatically. Is this card dead?

Get a copy of Everest, and look at the PCI bus entries.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html

If Everest cannot identify the NIC card, it will still give a VEN and DEV
code. Compare to what you'd expect for the card.

To give an example, I had trouble with my $7 sound card. Comparing VEN
and DEV to the proper codes for the device, there was a one bit difference.
Reseating my sound card fixed it (and then Everest could identify the
CMedia chip on it). My sound card is a poor mechanical fit, and there is
some problem with the way the faceplate is attached.

If this is a Linux box, then use "lspci" to do the same kind of check.

A lot of expected VEN and DEV codes can be found here.

http://pciids.sourceforge.net/pci.ids

Paul

 

[kony]

Perhaps something else has caused this problem. Have you tried installing
the drivers manually. From memory... In Device manager, find the PCI card in
the list and go through the install drivers process, only choose the
'manual' option. Browse (might be a button "I have a disk") to the location
of the drivers for the network card (there should be an INF file in there
somewhere). If XP complains about digitally signed drivers, then just click
the button along the lines of 'just do it anyway'.

Might be worth a try but if the system was working ok then
all of a sudden it doesn't anymore, IF it is then possible
to get the nic working by manually installing the driver
then there is something else seriously wrong for it to have
just *lost* the nic like that... maybe file corruption from
instability or failing HDD. It'd be easier to just put a
different NIC in and see if that resolves this.

 

[w_tom]

I have a wired Belkin NIC card that vanished from Device Manager. I tried to
reinstall in another PCI slot but XP only recognizes it as a "PCI device"
and the drivers won't automatically install. ...

If a transient damaged an NIC, well, an ethernet card must withstand
thousands of volts without damage. So what was the current flow
(circuit path) that flowed through that card (assuming the card is
damaged by a transient)? Maybe through PCI port, through NIC, down
cable, and through other ethernet port. What is and is not damaged?

Better computer manufacturers provide comprehensive hardware
diagnostics free and for this purpose. Answers obtained in minutes.
If no diagnostics, then get same, for free, from the NIC manufacturer
web site. Two possible damaged items: PCI port and NIC. Does the NIC
test OK when moved to another PCI port?

This manufacturer diagnostic eliminates numerous other complexities
such as Windows. What happens if the new card does not work? Is the
new card defective? Possible. Is the PCI port defective? Is
something in Windows causing a failure? Possibilities eliminated by
the diagnostic. Integrity of hardware on the other end of that cable
also known.
..
Unknown is if a problem is hardware or software - until simple
diagnostics provide results. Probably hardware. In but minutes,
useful answers obtained to identify all suspects. Rather than try
this, or try that, or try reloading drivers, or ... instead try
something that will report what is actually damaged.

Assumed was damage due to a transient. Maybe, which is why you may
also want to test, watch, or just automatically replace what is on the
other end of that cable.

One other reason for knowing what specifically failed? Also
eliminate that reason for damage. Thousand of volts to damage an NIC
via its cable. Where did something that significant come from?
Another item to fix.

 

[GT]

Might be worth a try but if the system was working ok then
all of a sudden it doesn't anymore, IF it is then possible
to get the nic working by manually installing the driver
then there is something else seriously wrong for it to have
just *lost* the nic like that... maybe file corruption from
instability or failing HDD. It'd be easier to just put a
different NIC in and see if that resolves this.

I was thinking he might have installed or removed something that corrupted,
or even removed the driver files, so windows thinks it has everything it
needs due to registry settings being left after removal of files.

 

[Plato]

I have a wired Belkin NIC card that vanished from Device Manager. I tried to
reinstall in another PCI slot but XP only recognizes it as a "PCI device"
and the drivers won't automatically install. When I first bought the card XP
installed the drivers automatically. Is this card dead?

Possibly. One may try to install the drivers "manually".

 

[pcbldrNinetyEight]

I have a wired Belkin NIC card that vanished from Device Manager. I
tried to reinstall in another PCI slot but XP only recognizes it as a
"PCI device" and the drivers won't automatically install. When I first
bought the card XP installed the drivers automatically. Is this card
dead?

Do the LEDs on the NIC light up?