Networking - "network cable is unplugged"

[Wraith]

So this morning, I start my PC, boot into XP Pro. Using Firefox, browsing, everything's fine for maybe five minutes. Then I get that "network cable is unplugged" message in the taskbar notification area. So I:

• Unplug/replug the PC-to-router cable (connected to onboard LAN port). It obviously wasn't actually unplugged in the first place.
• Power cycle the router.
• Unplug/replug the router-to-DSL modem cable.
• Power cycle the DSL modem.
• Unplug/replug the PC cable again.

No good. Look in Device Manager, and there doesn't appear to be a problem with the network adapter. I didn't really have much time to mess around with it, so I just shut it down. I fired up my macbook, which connects to the same router wirelessly, and it was fine. Hopefully I start up the PC tonight and everything's normal. But anyone have any other troubleshooting recommendations?

[Jackel]

Try a different cable is my first thought

[Wraith]

Does a cable ever just "die" though? I can try another one, I've just never heard of that before.

I've been using the same cable for, oh, at least two years, without issue, and it's rarely ever touched. It's out of the way, so it never gets stepped on, pinched or anything.

[Mortis]

Is it a Realtek onboard NIC? I have one on my new PC and it did the same thing, I had to go into the properties of the card in device manager and turn on some optimal performance setting to get it working again. You could also try changing the link speed there, it's usually on auto.

[Wraith]

Originally Posted by Mortis

Is it a Realtek onboard NIC? I have one on my new PC and it did the same thing, I had to go into the properties of the card in device manager and turn on some optimal performance setting to get it working again. You could also try changing the link speed there, it's usually on auto.

Pretty sure it is Realtek. I updated the driver, but that was weeks ago now.

Did yours just quit working out of the blue like that?

[Mortis]

Originally Posted by Wraith

Pretty sure it is Realtek. I updated the driver, but that was weeks ago now.

Did yours just quit working out of the blue like that?

Yep. I was using the PC at the time and it just popped up with the network cable unplugged message, did some searching on my iphone and found that people had fixed it by changing settings in device manager (the link speed and the optimal performance one).

[Wraith]

Originally Posted by Mortis

Yep. I was using the PC at the time and it just popped up with the network cable unplugged message, did some searching on my iphone and found that people had fixed it by changing settings in device manager (the link speed and the optimal performance one).

If it's still broken when I get home (or breaks again), I'll have to try that. Thanks.

[biosc1]

Originally Posted by Mortis

Yep. I was using the PC at the time and it just popped up with the network cable unplugged message, did some searching on my iphone and found that people had fixed it by changing settings in device manager (the link speed and the optimal performance one).

Yah, I had the same issue last year as well. Though, I have two onboard different branded ethernet ports, so I just switched ports.

[Mortis]

I was pissed because I only had the PC for like 2 days, didn't want to go out and buy a new NIC for a new PC. It has been fine since I changed the setting, hopefully that will work for you.

[Kelegacy]

I had a problem with my router when I got this exact same message. However, mine was a wireless router. I had to replace it.

[Wraith]

Originally Posted by Kelegacy

I had a problem with my router when I got this exact same message. However, mine was a wireless router. I had to replace it.

This one is a wireless router (Linksys), but my PC connects to it through the ports on the back.

[violent]

• Try a different cable
• Try a different port on the router
• Check link light status
• Reinstall NIC driver

[Kelegacy]

Originally Posted by Wraith

This one is a wireless router (Linksys), but my PC connects to it through the ports on the back.

Mine was a Netgear and my PC was connected directly to it as well, and at first it kept dropping out on me to the point of irritation. Eventually it just stopped connecting. I found out lots of people had this issue with the same router, so I switched to the GL router from Linksys.

[Ghostbear]

Originally Posted by Wraith

Does a cable ever just "die" though? I can try another one, I've just never heard of that before.

I've been using the same cable for, oh, at least two years, without issue, and it's rarely ever touched. It's out of the way, so it never gets stepped on, pinched or anything.

Yes. It happens.

[LiquidRain]

Cables die. I had to swap out the telephone cable on my DSL modem a few weeks ago.

Try a different cable, NIC, or network port as others have suggested.

[Zrikz]

So I had this happen to me as well a while back(3 weeks ago) and finally gave up and ordered a new network card... to arrive monday. After reading this thread I sat here and fiddled with it for like an hour and actually got it working again.. woo / lame cause I just spent $25 on a network card =/

here is what I had to do to get it to work again:

Network Connections -> right click on the local area network connection -> Properties -> Configure in the top right corner of the box that just popped up.

Click on the advanced tab:
look for "Speed & Duplex" settings

in the drop down on the right hand side
I had to get it off of "auto negotiate" and set it to "100mbps full duplex" scroll up to find this, not down, and that's it... weird

Luckily I had a wireless card for the past 3 weeks, but wireless causes a noticeable problem in FPS games with ping and small 1 second lag out blips, it was rather annoying.