Need some ideas for troubleshooting a network issue (desktop at home)

[Kirel_Redhand]

Hey all,

I built my computer a few years ago and have been upgrading parts as needed.
I currently am using a EVGA Motherboard ( p55 FTW ) with 6gm ram. I've been using the built in ethernet adapters with no issues. I also am running Vista64.

Last night, I attempted to upgrade to Win8, however I had a power fluxuation (power went out for 4 minutes) during one of the final reboot/restart phases of the upgrade/install.

When the power came back up, I was informed that the upgrade had failed and then it reverted the install. Once that process finished, the machine came back up running Vista64, but it was unable to connect to the internet. I have "limited" connectivity.


My home network is setup like this.

I have Att Uverse and the modem is connected to a wireless router, which broadcasts the signal.
My xbox and my housemates laptops can still connect via the wireless router.
My desktop was direct-connected (single cable) to the Uverse router.


I've tried the following, in an attempt to fix the issue.

I've used ipconfig to release and renew my IP address, my dns
I've used the built in tools (to windows vista) to repair the connections.
I've tried useing the wireless routers hardline connection ports
I've reset the uverse modem (dozens of times - much to the annoyance of my housemates)
This morning, I purchased an asus NIC card and installed that: I still cannot connect. My computer is not recognizing the router, it keeps reporting an "unidentified network"


What next steps should I take? Is it time for a hard drive wipe and OS re-install?


Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[JackMDS]

Take one of the Laptops that does well as Wireless and plug the Desktop cable to its wire connection. Make sure that it is configured to use the the wire correctly and see if it works.

If it does work it means that the Router and the cable are OK and you need to fix the computer. If it does not work with a cable connected to one of the Laptops, then something is wrong with the Router LAN wire part.

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As for the computer (this depicts Win 7, Vista is basically the same)

Check the Device Manager for valid Wire card entry.

http://www.ezlan.net/Win7/net_dm.jpg

If there is No valid entry, delete any Bogus Entry, and re-install the Wire card's Drivers.

Try to install the latest drivers of the card from the support page of the manufacturer.

Download the drivers and unpack them to a folder of your choice.

In the Device manger, right click on the adapter.

Click on Update Drivers, and choose the Browse my computer for drivers,

Choose let me pick from a list, Click on Have a Disk and point to the folder with the Drivers.
-------------------------------------

Check the Network connections to make sure that you have a Local Area Connection Icon/Entry, and that the Properties of the Icon (right click on the Icon) are correctly configured with TCP/IPv4 protocol in the Network Connections Properties.

http://www.ezlan.net/Win7/net_connection_tcp.jpg

Right click on the Wire card Network Connection, choose Status, Details, and see if it got an IP and the rest of the settings.

On IP status.

TCP/IP and its variables typically look like this.

Right click on the Wire card Network Connection, choose Status, Details, and see if it got an IP and the rest of the settings.

Typical TCP/IP status looks like this.

http://www.ezlan.net/Win7/status-nic.jpg

Description is the card manufacturing data.

Physical address is the card's MAC number.

The xx should be a number from 0 to 255 (all xx same number).

yy should be from 0 to 255

zz should be from 0 to 255 (all zz the same number.

The lease date should be valid to the current time.

*Note 1. IP that starts with 169.xxx.xxx.xxx is not valid functional IP.

 

[Kirel_Redhand]

Thank you for your suggestions.

Alas, I have encountered the bane of all techs... a self-correcting problem.

After a full weekend without internet access (via my desktop), I come home from work, loaded for bear and ready to make it work or rebuild the damn thing....

I turned the computer on and..... it's working.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You may want to look at a UPS. A bad shutdown can cause all sorts of weird stuff to happen to a computer, in some cases even hardware related. Sounds like something just got corrupted with the tcp stack or something.

 

[remixedcat]

Also when the OS goes wonky always re-install drivers. I always do that to make sure stuff didn't get corrputed. Driver fusion is recommended. use it to completly clean the left over files that the regular uninstallers don't get.


Definitly get a UPS!!!
For UPS I recommend an APC one. it's got good management software and the prices aren't bad. You can easily get one to power a whole system, monitor, networking gear for 30mins for around 109-120USD. I have the Back-UPS-XS1000. Got it for 120 st Staples.

 

[Cabletek]

You could also have a house mate like me in my youth. Who might have turned off the nic card on your computer CMOS or windows, or banned your mac from the router and then unbanned it when you were not looking, etc.. I always found setting screen saver password to be more entertaining [especially the banner one forget what it was called], but.. just saying. If the computer and router are not password protected well you may want to consider those options.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

You may want to look at a UPS. A bad shutdown can cause all sorts of weird stuff to happen to a computer, in some cases even hardware related. Sounds like something just got corrupted with the tcp stack or something.

Definitly get a UPS!!!
For UPS I recommend an APC one. it's got good management software and the prices aren't bad. You can easily get one to power a whole system, monitor, networking gear for 30mins for around 109-120USD. I have the Back-UPS-XS1000. Got it for 120 st Staples.

Thirded!