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HackSore
12-19-2007, 08:56 AM
I'm fixing up a pc for someone, and when i went to hook it up to the home network i had set up for them, the pc claimed the network cable was unplugged.
Now the cable and router are fine, tested successfully on another machine.
I'm pretty sure its a hardware fault, im guessing the ethernet port on the motherboard is dead (i know one of the usb ports is dead also, the machine is old and grubby!) But i was just wondering if anyone could suggest anything else it could be, as i cant think of anything, its just not regestering the cable being plugged in at all.

thanks in advance for any help offered!
killergamer
12-19-2007, 09:38 AM
Try A network Card in the PCI slot
HackSore
12-19-2007, 09:41 AM
Yeah, was gonna do that, but strangly, i've just hooked it up to my home network via the ethernet port on the motherboard, and it seems to be working ok, which is kinda confusing, as i have near enough the same setup/router.
I am puzzled!
Airbozo
12-19-2007, 02:04 PM
Crossover cable?

My router at home is setup to detect and accept either a crossover cable or a regular cable. My router at work will not. You will get the cable not attached message with a crossover cable.
si-skyline
12-19-2007, 02:09 PM
take a torch and look at the port. Make sure that none on the pins are bent and that you hear a click when you put the wire in. I doubt that it will be the wire because another machine is working on the wire
calumc
12-19-2007, 04:08 PM
Crossover cable?

My router at home is setup to detect and accept either a crossover cable or a regular cable. My router at work will not. You will get the cable not attached message with a crossover cable.

what the difference between the two cables? I've never been too sure...
Cannibal23
12-19-2007, 04:34 PM
what the difference between the two cables? I've never been too sure...

on a cross over cable some of the wires connect to diffrent pins. generaly they are used to connect multiple inferstructure devices such as switches and hubs togeather. if you find one its a good idea to mark it in some way as they physicaly look pretty well the same. the only other diffrence i can think of is that you can always find a normal cable when you need one but will almost never seem to have a cross over when its required.
si-skyline
12-19-2007, 06:02 PM
the wires are marked differant that the way you tell or look at the two ends. If the wires are the same on both ends you have a normal one.
Luke122
12-19-2007, 06:43 PM
Is the PC running WinMe or Win98? If so, you can disable the error on the network panel (check box says something like "autodetect connection state" I think..).

I've seen it say that it was disconnected, even when it was working fine.
Airbozo
12-19-2007, 07:09 PM
what the difference between the two cables? I've never been too sure...

http://www.duxcw.com/digest/Howto/network/cable/cable5.htm


Crossover cables are useful to connect two computers together without a hub or router/switch. One port directly to the other.

_most_ network crossover cables you buy are orange by default (at least that is the industry standard) but you can get regular network cables in any color so...

BTW: one way to tell is hold the ends together and compare the colored stripe on the single wires in the connector.
HackSore
12-19-2007, 07:41 PM
Crossover cable?

My router at home is setup to detect and accept either a crossover cable or a regular cable. My router at work will not. You will get the cable not attached message with a crossover cable.

Yeah it is a crossover cable, but the thing is, its the same router in both cases, both using a crossover cable. works fine here, didnt work in there home.
I didnt have to specifically configure the router to detect crossover cables, and the pc seems to be ok with it as it works here.
And the router there is obviously ok with crossover cables, as i connected up a laptop, which worked fine (used it to test the cable to make sure it was ok).
I'm gonna try a straight through cable when i go back and see what happens.

Still puzzled!

EDIT: and no, its not winME or 98, its xp pro.
Luke122
12-20-2007, 02:35 PM
More than one ethernet jack on the PC? onboard vs pci might be the issue.. I've done that too.. plug into the one that's actually disabled. ;) *blush*
HackSore
12-20-2007, 05:26 PM
Nope, only the single onboard ethernet port, enabled in the BIOS.
HackSore
12-23-2007, 07:53 AM
Just for anyone that might be interested:

I finally found that the problem was as i had suspected, a dodgy ethernet port on the mobo, i got it working at the guys house, but i really had to force the cable into the port to get it to connect.

So unfortunatly, not a very interesting conclusion to the puzzle!