Connectivity Issues

[Kutabare]

My desktop's ethernet has been acting up again. My system shows that it is able to connect and establish an IP Address and assigned by DHCP. However, the activity is next to null. The internet works fine when my laptop is plugged into the modem, but the desktop refuses to accept any activity. The ethernet wire is not faulty. The modem box jacks are fine. The ethernet light behind the desktop is blinking. I have even tried resetting the bios by pulling out the mobo battery and still doesn't work (I did that for last time and it worked for awhile). Is the ethernet jack on the desktop mobo slowly dying and need to be replaced or something else is corrupted? Reformatting does not work, I have tried it before. What seems to be the problem?

 

[oldskool]

Try pinging some addresses:

Ping IP addresses such as your own adapter's IP address, your router's, and then your ISP's. Your own would be 127.0.0.1 to check your network adapter. Your router is probably 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.0.2 or something similar.

Example:

ping 127.0.0.1

100% packets received would indicate that your TCP/IP on your computer is bound properly and is working. Same for the other IP addresses on your network mentioned above.

If you can reach them, next check DNS by typing :

ping www.google.com

and

ping www.microsoft.com

If you can reach them also, then you have network connectivity and your TCP/IP connections are probably ok, and that would indicate some other possible problem. Let me know what you find out, ok ?

BTW, you would ping from the command prompt window

 

[Kutabare]

I've tried pinging some addresses and it usually ends up either request timed out or 75% of the packets were lost. However, the connection is fine with my hooked up laptop. I mean that is how i reestablished my internet connection with my router. The laptop connection is able to receive 100% of the packets after pinging and is able to receive stable and working internet connection. It's just weird how the desktop refuses to connect to the internet with a "connection" established.

 

[oldskool]

That is why I wondered if you had pinged those addresses. Because I wanted to see how your desktop interacted with those devices, and to see if your desktop's TCP/IP configuration was ok. What I am saying is even though you can use that connection to use your laptop, it doesn't necessarily mean that your desktop should be fine with it, because there could be some software or hardware settings out of whack for whatever reason.

Can you think of any software installs you have done recently on the desktop? Maybe something changed your network settings in the registry after being installed, or some network connectivity settings. Because you said you sometimes lose all packets, or 75% of them, I still suspect something specifically with the desktop, escpecially you are having very few succesfully returned packets while pinging.

Do you have a lot of services running on the computer ? Network-related ones ? Maybe they could be taking up some bandwidth while accessing the wire. Maybe you could try a system restore to a time when your desktop was working ok network-wise.

 

[Kutabare]

Actually, my desktop just went through a clean reinstallation recently and only the basic were installed. Before the screw up and after my bios reset trick, I saw the ethernet connection being all fickle. It would say ethernet is disconnect and reconnect itself in a matter of a second and the internet will still be stable, but a little choked up when it was reestablishing the connection. I've tried resetting WinSock2 and renewing the IP, but no luck.The desktop runs on the minimal and necessary processes because I am a neat freak when it comes to the operating system. The ethernet just decided to kick the bucket for no reason.

There are only 3 network services running: svchost.exe, svchost.exe, and wmiprvse.exe.

Also, there are about 40 processes running on Windows XP after startup is complete.

The OS is running the basics and nothing fancy.

 

[oldskool]

Yeah, that's not an unreasonable amount of processes. I usually have about 78 or so. Svchost.exe usually runs multiple instances for varying applications. Well, maybe one of your first hunches is correct, that the ethernet connection to the board is intermittent. Is that a built-in ethernet jack, or is it on a card. If it is on a card, you could easily try another one if you have one handy.

Kutabare, just for giggles, what does it show in Device Manager ? Does it say you have connectivity ? If there is an issue, you might try uninstalling the ethernet driver and reinstalling from the disc(s) that came with the computer if you have them. In other words the original one that was also on the disc.

 

[Kutabare]

Yeah, I've uninstalled, reinstalled, reset the bios with the ethernet uninstalled, still doesn't show any hope. Maybe the ethernet jack on the mobo is on the verge of death. Haha, giggles.

 

[oldskool]

Yeah, I guess it kind of sounds that way.

 

[Jayce]

PCI LAN cards are real cheap, and handy to have around anyway. I think I spent 12 bucks at Circuit City for a basic 10/100 PCI LAN card. I also bought it online on their site and picked it up in person, so who knows...

But my point is, if you can spare a few bucks, it wouldn't be a bad idea to pop one in and try it. That way if your computer acts perfectly fine on the new card, it's evident the old one was bad.

 

[Kutabare]

I just popped in an extra LAN card and the issue is still apparent. The new LAN card is experiencing the same problem as the mobo ethernet jack. Now, I'm just guessing it could be the mobo that is corrupted. Is there a way to reset the mobo other than removing the battery?