Windows XP Home blocks LAN connection

[vball42069]

Hello all...

I'm fairly familiar with computers and networking, although I'm no expert. Two days ago, the desktop which I had a LAN connection to for over a year stopped working suddenly. For the past two days I've been trying everything I possibly can. I know it's not the ISP since when I put the same cable into my laptop (Windows XP Home as well), the internet works just fine. I'm about to go crazy because I have no idea what to try next. Any ideas would be welcomed.
When I check in Device Manager, the NIC seems to be working properly. I have installed the latest drive and still says it's working properly. The settings are all the same when the internet was working.
Here are some of the things I have tried:

-releasing/refreshing IP address (it can't connect, so it can't do either)
-reinstalling NIC, plugging NIC in and out, bought a USB NIC
-completely re-formatted my harddrive with Windows XP Home
-removed my soundcard
-updated my BIOS
-anything else I could think of....

Basically I've run out of options. All the lights on the NIC are flashing so all signs point to it being able to work. I have no firewalls set up so it should work especially right after a clean installation on a re-formatted harddrive.

I have even tried going back to Windows 98 and now that won't work too. Now I put Windows XP Home back since I know it wasn't the OS somehow.

Has anyone heard of this problem... What could possibly be doing this? I've been trying to figure it out for over two days now...

Please any help?

 

[neversleeps]

wow what a dilemma and i have cable and xp home and i swear if this happens to me, but i think u have ruled out all possible software problems. the only thing thats left is hardware obviously, and nic cards r cheap(like 15 bux, and u can take it back if it doesnt fix it,) so i would buy a new one of those and try it since u have no way for sure of knowing that that urs is working properly just cuz the lights r on i wouldnt say that its working for sure. but even before that i would check the usb or ethernet port for ur cable and make sure there is no shit in it or anything however its unlikely if ur cable modem was plugged into it the whole time. did u try putting the nic into a different pci slot and putting a pci device that u kno works into one of the slots to make sure the pci's r working and the controller didnt take a poop even tho if its detecting the card and shows it working properly then it should b. all im doing here is trying to make u think of something that u forgot, and it could b something so simple that u overlooked it. hopefully one of the hardware super experts reads this and replies and corrects me on anything and sheds some new lite for u

 

[ekÆsine]

check obvious things first. are you using a router or ICS?assuming a router i would think the router just doesn't renew your IP. try unplugging the cable from your NIC. disable your network connection in windows, plug the cable back into the NIC. enable your connection again.

if tha fails try unplugging all cables from router and resetting it than replugg them back in. the reset button is usually in front or in the back of the router

heres a picture:

 

[vball42069]

Wow... thanks for all the replies...

I'm not using ICS, nor a router. To take those things out of the equation, I plugged the cable modem connection right into the computer the entire time I was trying the different things.
As far as the NIC, I have tried a Netgear, 3Com, D-link, and a LinkSys USB NIC. So my guess is it's not the link. I tried putting it into different PCI slots (actually tried 3 different ones).
I will try to see if there are loose pins as you suggested, but because it does not appear to be a NIC problem I doubt that will work.
The strange thing is that I can take the same cable for the LAN connection and pop it into the back of my laptop and it works within 3 seconds without even restarting the computer. So it appears that the signal is strong enough.

I'm at a complete loss here. Besides going crazy, I'm not sure what else to try and I need to get that computer hooked up since I won't be home most of the time and that Desktop will be the lone source of internet connection.

Thanks for all the suggestions... If anyone has any more suggestions, I am definitely open to them...

 

[ADZ]

So have you actually tried another netwrk cable? Even though it will work on the other system? Have you also tried resetting your cable modem?

 

[vball42069]

I haven't tried another network cable since the same cable works on the laptop, so I ruled that out.

I have indeed tried restting the cable modem. I even left it off for over an hour to see if that did something.... nothing

It is the strangest thing when something is supposed to be working but it's not. What makes it worse is that it appears that there is not much else to try.

 

[ekÆsine]

what about asking your internet provider? see if they can help you troubleshoot. when you reinstalled XP did you install other programs? when you do a fresh install you should not install anything else besides network card drivers and test to see if your intenet is accessible.

 

[Press_F1]

try to check thej type of cable you are using, is it a straight through or cross-over cable? and have you tried using a LAN tester just to check if the cable was indeed healthy? if you truly are sure that these things works just fine, try agin checking your win XP since it needs some sort of tune up for complety run its network. try to check again your network connection or the properties of you LAN and try to check if firewall was enabled. try also changing your IP address and if you have a Gateway adress to use for your internet, change your IP with the same class as waht your ISP has given you. for example: if you have a class A on your gateway or the router like 10.0.0.1... use the same range (10.0.0.2..10.0.0.1.2 etc) with your local network and of kors double check your subnet.
hope this helps.

 

[radguy]

when you put the cable in a different computer, it changes the IP automatically.... plug it in to your computer it doesnt work on, go to network connections.. and go to the proporties to your connection... click support, and click repair... this can set up the IP automatically for you so it works again.... it always works for me..... well before i got my router

 

[iory_yagamy]

that happened to me long ago many times.i have calle the tech support of the cable company and i have worked out all the obviuos things. thae solution for me is always reformating and installing windows again. it seems that some how windows block the ports and it is hard to conect to the internet, especially if you have any firewall program and it gets corrupted, but in one way that is hard to see it. once you reistall windows, 9 afresh intallation) and install your nic drivrers you will get online just right away.

hope that this help.