HELP! - desktop PC won't connect to Internet - NOW FIXED

Hmmm!

You say you checked the cable by substitution and is,aok

But have you tried it in another port on the router or hub........just a thought that the issue might not be the motherboard port?

Oooops! just re-read your OP and you did check by router port swap :coat:
 
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Ethernet stopped working on one of mine after a tickle down the line during a thunderstorm.
I just used a wifi dongle as it was overdue replacing anyway.
 
There is a chance you have a virus and it has disabled the port so you can not run updates or download software to fix the issue.
 
After all this, most likely I'd just order some cheapo wifi dongle for 2 quid or so to test the pc. If it works, you might want to upgrade it though.
 
In "Device Manager > Properties" is roll back device driver 'available' for this? You mentioned this failing after a W10 update....................could it have included a driver update.......???

Also, ref that update. Have a look in the updates history and note KB numbers of that last update, as perhaps one of the issues it was supposed to fix might have been RealTek Network driver related???
 
Stewart,

Have you checked the speed and duplex settings for the network adapter? A mismatch in speed settings will produce the "no network cable" message. It's under "Control Panel", Network adapter properties, "Configure". Worth checking.

upload_2017-7-17_8-28-36.png
 
amjad175 said:
Stewart,

Have you checked the speed and duplex settings for the network adapter? A mismatch in speed settings will produce the "no network cable" message. It's under "Control Panel", Network adapter properties, "Configure". Worth checking.

View attachment 106342
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I just checked my settings as above and there mine says "Auto Negotiation" - I just had a look not because I was having problems - I'm running Win 7.
 
Gil Bev said:
Antivirus can block incoming communication, however I would expect the lights on your socket to illuminate still had this been the issue
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Mozthecat said:
Have seen some incidents at work of antivirus softwares blocking random areas of a machines OS. As antivirus generally update themselves in small increments without much fanfare I have found it is always worth ruling out with any new issue.
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OK, that makes sense. I'm reluctant to disable the AV software - it's there for a reason. But if I disconnect the broadband, then disable the AV, I should see the lights on the ethernet port as it communicates with the hub, even if the hub isn't connected to the internet. I'll try that when I get home tonight.
 
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AdamSi said:
Have you plugged anything else into the cable/same port on router to rule that out? Like a laptop if you have one or sky box, Sonos, TV etc anything with a lan port
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Yes. In fact, I mentioned this in the very first post:

StewartR said:
The port on the router is OK, because if I swap ports with another device the PC still doesn't work and the other device still does.
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Try connecting the network card to a dumb switch and see if you get any blinken lights. (I know you have tested other devices with the router and the PC on other ports but I have seen problems with certain devices using particular switches/routers before)

Settings for speed and duplex should be Auto negotiation for a Gigabit connection.

I know a few people who have had networking issues* with the latest W10 insider preview - which are unresolved by changing hardware.
That said, get a cheap PCIe intel NIC from a famous auction website for around £10 posted and give that a whirl. If the problem persists than it's most likely the Windows network stack screwing you over.

*Periodically network devices just stop passing traffic, changing the network card doesn't resolve the issue
 
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troutfisher said:
Is it a new PC which is not working?
Is it an old PC which has stopped working
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It is a 3-year-old PC which has worked fine for 3 years and is currently working fine except for the bit about connecting to a network.

troutfisher said:
Has it had any recent Windows upgrades?
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It's running Windows 10, so it upgrades itself frequently. When I first noticed the problem I rebooted the PC to see whether that would fix it, and it installed an update before rebooting.

troutfisher said:
Can you do a system restore to when it was working
Can you reinstall windows from a recovery disc.
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System restore - I don't know. Maybe. I haven't checked.
Reinstall Windows - That is absolutely the last resort, not the first. If I can't get it working by trying the other suggestions which have been offered here, I'll assume it's probably a hardware problem and try a new network adapter. To my mind spending £10 that way is far less hassle than re-installing Windows.
 
Hardware failure if nothing else has changed - it the network on the motherboard? Add another card - just buy a decent brand.
 
amjad175 said:
Have you checked the speed and duplex settings for the network adapter? A mismatch in speed settings will produce the "no network cable" message. It's under "Control Panel", Network adapter properties, "Configure". Worth checking.
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I haven't checked it. But then I haven't checked the "Protocol ARP Offload" either, or the "Jumbo Packet", or any of the dozens of other settings. I've never changed any of them. Nobody who has ever touched this computer (to my knowledge) has ever changed any of them. It used to work. Now it doesn't.

I'm starting to feel a bit like Kevin Bridges when his laptop wouldn't connect to the wifi:
View: https://youtu.be/oWezDDuIS5I?t=4m48s

(I've linked to this rather than embedding it, so that it will start playing at 04m48s which is when the IT support gag starts.)
 
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afasoas said:
Try connecting the network card to a dumb switch and see if you get any blinken lights.
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I haven't got a dumb switch. If I'm going to buy any new hardware to resolve this, I'll try a new network adapter first.
 
It sounds like a hardware failure to me - the lack of lights when a cable is plugged in suggests this. Usually if there is a software issue then the lights come on but remain orange and stay steady.
 
ancient_mariner said:
It sounds like a hardware failure to me - the lack of lights when a cable is plugged in suggests this. Usually if there is a software issue then the lights come on but remain orange and stay steady.
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FWIW
My motherboard also have a RealTek adaptor, as test I turned on a full block of network traffic but as noted by Toni the orange 'connected at 1GB' stays lit but the second "activity light" was not illuminated.

iMO the quickest resolution is to get a decent budget network card and all being well.................sorted!
 
Box Brownie said:
FWIW
My motherboard also have a RealTek adaptor, as test I turned on a full block of network traffic but as noted by Toni the orange 'connected at 1GB' stays lit but the second "activity light" was not illuminated.

iMO the quickest resolution is to get a decent budget network card and all being well.................sorted!
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I agree
 
Please don't buy a budget network card. Spend the same dosh on a second hand Intel, e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Intel...123617&hash=item4d5de21bd0:g:Ah8AAOSwuLZYyY-w

Intel -> Broadcom -> Realtek -> Others



ancient_mariner said:
It sounds like a hardware failure to me - the lack of lights when a cable is plugged in suggests this. Usually if there is a software issue then the lights come on but remain orange and stay steady.
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The lights are useful for two things:
1) Confirming there's a physical connection
2) Confirmation packets are passing along that physical connection

Presence/absence of lights doesn't necessarily confirm either hardware/software issue.
They can show there's a problem which could be as simple as the light has stopped working!
 
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amjad175 said:
Stewart,

Have you checked the speed and duplex settings for the network adapter? A mismatch in speed settings will produce the "no network cable" message. It's under "Control Panel", Network adapter properties, "Configure". Worth checking.

View attachment 106342
Click to expand...
I did check and it said 'Auto Negotiation', which sounds right to me.
 
OK, time to wrap this up...

I'm really pleased to so many people chipped in to help. Thanks everyone.
I've installed a new network card and the PC is now working fine.
Same cable, same router, port, same everything as before.
As far as I can see, the various settings for the network adapter are identical to the old one.
So I think it was a hardware failure and I'm leaving it at that.
Thanks again.
 
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