On-board Ethernet controller

[Rojo Habe]

I originally posted this on alt.comp.pc.hardware.homebuilt, and then I
realised I probably won't get an answer due to the high level of spam on
that newsgroup. Here it is again:

I just need to run something by you, see what you think.

The on-board ethernet port on my motherboard keeps conking out. I can fix
it every time by deleting it from the device manager and reinstalling it,
which would imply to me that it's a driver problem. If it fails at startup
it generates the following error in the event log:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: E1000
Event Category: None
Event ID: 24
Date: 30/04/2005
Time: 14:08:10
User: N/A
Computer: <snipped>
Description:
Intel(R) PRO/1000 CT Network Connection PROBLEM: Could not start the
PRO/1000 adapter. ACTION: Install updated driver.
Data:
0000: 00 00 04 00 02 00 58 00 ......X.
0008: 00 00 00 00 18 00 04 c0 .......À
0010: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0028: 18 00 04 c0 ...À

Until today, it's only ever happened at startup, and only a couple of times
over the last couple of weeks. Suddenly today it's started failing without
warning: I'll just click a link and get "Page cannot be displayed", even
though all my IP config (IP address, DNS servers et al) remains intact.
Again, reinstalling fixes it. The only thing that makes me suspect a
hardware fault is the fact that it seems to be getting more frequent. About
half an hour ago it went again within minutes of me fixing it (although it
hasn't gone again since).

The only other event I can see that might be relevant is the following:

Event Type: Information
Event Source: E1000
Event Category: None
Event ID: 30
Date: 30/04/2005
Time: 14:45:24
User: N/A
Computer: <Snipped>
Description:
Intel(R) PRO/1000 CT Network Connection Did not receive auto-negotiation
advertisement from link partner, possible full duplex connection available.
Data:
0000: 00 00 04 00 02 00 58 00 ......X.
0008: 00 00 00 00 1e 00 04 40 .......@
0010: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0028: 1e 00 04 40 ...@

I don't pretend to understand what that means but I'm going to try forcing
it to half duplex; see what happens.

Any views on the subject will be welcome.


Since posting that, I can confirm that forcing it to half duplex hasn't
helped. It's pretty much failing to start every time I boot the PC now.

 

[JANA]

I would try another Ethernet card. It is very possible that some hardware is
failing.

 

[Rojo Habe]

That's my next step. It's a virtually brand new motherboard, and I hate
having to take stuff back, so if a new NIC fixes it, I'll probably end up
disabling the onboard one and living with the fact that I've got a faulty
motherboard.

Interestingly though, I rebooted into Safe Mode and it was fine, so I went
into msconfig and disabled half my startup apps. Still fine. I renabled
them and disabled the other half. Still fine, so I went back to normal
startup. Still fine! I've only booted twice since then though, so time
will tell...