Laptop keeps losing network connection...help!

[eggedd2k]

Our client has 2 Dell laptops connected via a crossover cable. they
recently started getting intermittent network disconnection problems
("a network cable is unplugged" messages) and had to either reboot the
machine or just wait for it to come back online.

We took a look at the machines at our offices, encountered the problem,
totally remove and disabled the firewalls on both machines and the
problem didnt occur again whilst we had them.

The client then switched them back on at their premises and the laptops
were ok for most of the day but did lose the connection they said when
they moved one of the laptops forward on the desk.

This obviously points towards being a possible hardware problem but the
client did ring Dell support who just told them it was the cable
(they've tried 5 different working cables). Dell didnt want to know.

any ideas??

 

[Beck]

Our client has 2 Dell laptops connected via a crossover cable. they
recently started getting intermittent network disconnection problems
("a network cable is unplugged" messages) and had to either reboot the
machine or just wait for it to come back online.

We took a look at the machines at our offices, encountered the problem,
totally remove and disabled the firewalls on both machines and the
problem didnt occur again whilst we had them.

The client then switched them back on at their premises and the laptops
were ok for most of the day but did lose the connection they said when
they moved one of the laptops forward on the desk.

This obviously points towards being a possible hardware problem but the
client did ring Dell support who just told them it was the cable
(they've tried 5 different working cables). Dell didnt want to know.

any ideas??

Have they tried a different crossover cable?
If they lost connection when they moved the laptop, that would point to a
physical wire connection problem. Either the cable is faulty or one of the
ethernet ports.