Laptop can't see router, but desktop does

[metroplex]

I had set up the LAN at Michigan a few weeks back (Didnt have the cable modem at the time) and everything worked fine. The laptop saw the desktop w/o any problems.

I had used a 100 Mbps switch between the router and the NIC on the laptop -both comps see each other and the router fine.

2 weeks later, I remove the switch and connect the laptop directly to the router but no go.

I can't get an IP address assigned by the DHCP from the router, and the LED for the laptop link (regardless of what port it's connected, 1-4) goes NUTS - it blinks rapidly for eternity.

WTF is going on???

I used different Cat5e but its all the same - the verified working cables don't seem to help.

The laptop was hooked up to the home LAN just perfectly a few hours ago, and now it doesn't work.

I doubt the laptop NIC is busted... it's something with the router.

My desktop works fine with the router - which is how i'm posting now.

 

[martind1]

huh? / bump

 

[dave03]

Do you by any chance have a Dell Inspiron laptop with an integrated ActionTec NIC? That?s what I have and it does the same thing you describe. I?ve tried it on 6 or so hubs / switches and it works fine on half of them. The other half I either get no link light or rapidly blinking....and you can forget about data transfer.

I checked the Dell support forum and its not an isolated incident. Apparently those NICs are junk. Try forcing it to connect at 10 Mbps only, that seems to work for me. If you have access to one, try borrowing a PCMCIA NIC and see if it does the same thing. I borrowed one and it solved all the problems, which is why I?m planning to purchase one here in the very near future.

If anyone knows a better solution I would also be interested in hearing it.

 

[metroplex]

Dave:

Yeah its the actiontec built-in modem/NIC combo.
It works fine w/ my BEFSR41 router (v2) but with the v3 router, it does that blinking routine.

A few ppl told me that the contacts were bent, and I checked - lo and behold they were staggered from excessive weight of the Cat5 cable.

I attribute this to a POOR RJ-45 jack location, it's right where I need to use my mouse.

BTW I've bought a new NIC for the laptop, a SMC PCMCIA NIC (10/100) which solved the problem of the router showing a rapidly blinking LED for my laptop connection.