What does the lights on the ethernet mean?

[daviddschool]

I have an orange light recently on my ethernet connection in the back
of my computer. It used to be green all the time. What does this
mean?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "daviddschool" <[email protected]>

| I have an orange light recently on my ethernet connection in the back
| of my computer. It used to be green all the time. What does this
| mean?

Ask your hardware mnaufacturer.

 

[daviddschool]

To expand a bit on David's correct but brief response, the light(s) mean
different things on different network adapters. Open Device Manager
(right click My Computer > Properties > Hardware > Device Manager),
click on the plus sign to the left of the entry for "Network Adapters"
and make a note of the manufacturer and model of your network adapter.
For example "Intel Pro/100 Network Connection." Then either go to the
website of the indicated manufacturer and search for the user guide or
Google for it. It may be difficult to find manuals/user guides for some
off-brand adapters.

It says "1394 Net adapter#2" and has a red line through it.
Underneath that one is something that says "Nvideo Nforce Networking
adapter controller". I really don't think Nvidia makes me adapter
though, that is strange...

Does that help for more info?

 

[daviddschool]

It says "1394 Net adapter#2" and has a red line through it.
Underneath that one is something that says "Nvideo Nforce Networking
adapter controller". I really don't think Nvidia makes me adapter
though, that is strange...

Does that help for more info?

Also, to add - I was getting the green light up to yesterday. Just
today it is not working properly and I have the orange light
flashing. Yes, I am receiving data (I am using the internet right
now), but it is orange on the back.
I phoned Trendnet (which makes me router) and they say it doesn't have
anything to do with them. Should I go into Safe mode, delete the
network controllers and reboot?

 

[R. McCarty]

Usually there are two LED indicators. One illuminates a steady green.
This indicates a source connection is active. The 2nd LED is Amber
and will usually be "Flickering" to indicate data traffic on the NIC.

 

[Lem]

It says "1394 Net adapter#2" and has a red line through it.
Underneath that one is something that says "Nvideo Nforce Networking
adapter controller". I really don't think Nvidia makes me adapter
though, that is strange...

Does that help for more info?

Your 1394 adapter is otherwise known as FireWire, and is usually used
for video cameras and iPods. It has nothing to do with your Ethernet
connection (although I haven't seen an entry with a red line through it).

In fact, in addition to the video cards for which they are perhaps
better known, nVidia makes motherboards which have built-in Ethernet
adapters, so in fact nVidia does make your Ethernet adapter.

I couldn't find anything helpful with a quick look around the nVidia
site, and in any case, you probably need to know *which* nVidia mobo you
have. You can determine that by running a system information utility
such as Belarc Advisor (http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html) or the
even more comprehensive tool from http://www.gtopala.com/
Once you have the correct model and version info (and one or the other
of those tools may also give you more detailed info about your network
adapter), ask your question in an appropriate nVidia forum:
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?act=idx

[Alternatively, if you have a name brand computer, go to the computer
manufacturer's web site, rather than nVidia's.]

Given that the light used to be green and now is orange, it probably
means that either your cable is bad, or your network adapter is failing,
or your network speed has dropped to 10 Mbps from the more usual 100
Mbps (again, probably because of impending hardware failure). But these
are only guesses, and you will get more accurate info from nVidia or
your computer manufacturer.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[daviddschool]

Your 1394 adapter is otherwise known as FireWire, and is usually used
for video cameras and iPods. It has nothing to do with your Ethernet
connection (although I haven't seen an entry with a red line through it).

In fact, in addition to the video cards for which they are perhaps
better known, nVidia makes motherboards which have built-in Ethernet
adapters, so in fact nVidia does make your Ethernet adapter.

I couldn't find anything helpful with a quick look around the nVidia
site, and in any case, you probably need to know *which* nVidia mobo you
have. You can determine that by running a system information utility
such as Belarc Advisor (http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html) or the
even more comprehensive tool fromhttp://www.gtopala.com/
Once you have the correct model and version info (and one or the other
of those tools may also give you more detailed info about your network
adapter), ask your question in an appropriate nVidia forum:http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?act=idx

[Alternatively, if you have a name brand computer, go to the computer
manufacturer's web site, rather than nVidia's.]

Given that the light used to be green and now is orange, it probably
means that either your cable is bad, or your network adapter is failing,
or your network speed has dropped to 10 Mbps from the more usual 100
Mbps (again, probably because of impending hardware failure). But these
are only guesses, and you will get more accurate info from nVidia or
your computer manufacturer.

I have tried it out on another computer and the GREEN LIGHT comes on,
so that eliminates the possibility of it being a bad cable. So, now
it is trying to determine why the ETHERNET is not green. I have
posted on the Nvidia board so I hope I get an answer. I wish there
was a way to test this...

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "daviddschool" <[email protected]>



| I have tried it out on another computer and the GREEN LIGHT comes on,
| so that eliminates the possibility of it being a bad cable. So, now
| it is trying to determine why the ETHERNET is not green. I have
| posted on the Nvidia board so I hope I get an answer. I wish there
| was a way to test this...

It could be that it shows a different colour if set to 10Mb/s vs. 100Mb/s.
Again, this is something to query the manufacturer about.

 

[JS]

Go into Device Manager and check your 1394 Firewire status.
Is there a yellow question mark.

I say this because I have a motherboard which requires that
the 1394 Firewire is functioning properly before the built in
network chip will work.

JS
http://www.pagestart.com

Your 1394 adapter is otherwise known as FireWire, and is usually used
for video cameras and iPods. It has nothing to do with your Ethernet
connection (although I haven't seen an entry with a red line through it).

In fact, in addition to the video cards for which they are perhaps
better known, nVidia makes motherboards which have built-in Ethernet
adapters, so in fact nVidia does make your Ethernet adapter.

I couldn't find anything helpful with a quick look around the nVidia
site, and in any case, you probably need to know *which* nVidia mobo you
have. You can determine that by running a system information utility
such as Belarc Advisor (http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html) or the
even more comprehensive tool fromhttp://www.gtopala.com/
Once you have the correct model and version info (and one or the other
of those tools may also give you more detailed info about your network
adapter), ask your question in an appropriate nVidia
forum:http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?act=idx

[Alternatively, if you have a name brand computer, go to the computer
manufacturer's web site, rather than nVidia's.]

Given that the light used to be green and now is orange, it probably
means that either your cable is bad, or your network adapter is failing,
or your network speed has dropped to 10 Mbps from the more usual 100
Mbps (again, probably because of impending hardware failure). But these
are only guesses, and you will get more accurate info from nVidia or
your computer manufacturer.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of
ROM.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computerhttp://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

I have tried it out on another computer and the GREEN LIGHT comes on,
so that eliminates the possibility of it being a bad cable. So, now
it is trying to determine why the ETHERNET is not green. I have
posted on the Nvidia board so I hope I get an answer. I wish there
was a way to test this...

 

[daviddschool]

It could be that it shows a different colour if set to 10Mb/s vs. 100Mb/s.

Again, this is something to query the manufacturer about.

Here is the Belarc stuff :

Board: ASUSTeK Computer INC. M2N-E 1.XX
Bus Clock: 200 megahertz
BIOS: Phoenix Technologies, LTD ASUS M2N-E ACPI BIOS Revision 1305
03/07/2008

I will have to wait and see what the ASUS and Nvidia people say.

 

[daviddschool]

In my Mobo book it says :

ORANGE 100Mbps
GREEN 1 Gbps

So I have gone done for a high speed to a lower speed on just this
computer.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "daviddschool" <[email protected]>


| In my Mobo book it says :

| ORANGE 100Mbps
| GREEN 1 Gbps

| So I have gone done for a high speed to a lower speed on just this
| computer.


So what does this computer coinnect to ?

Do you have a Router ?
An Ethernet switch ?

In essence... what is your SOHO topology ?