Lost Ethernet Connection Mystery

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Lost Ethernet Connection Mystery

I'm at a loss. My ethernet DSL connection dropped today while I was working with my browser and is still down. I have reset the router, rebooted the modem twice, checked all connections (disconnected and reconnected) from the CPU to the router. I have restarted once, and shut down/restarted twice. The router (Linksys wireless - I am hardwired to it as is one of my wife's computers while her other one is wireless) indicates that both of hers connect just fine. The light for port 2 (the one to which mine is connected is NOT on while hers (wireless and port 1) are both on green. I moved my cable to port 3 and port 4 with no results. I also moved hers from 1 to 2 and mine from 2 to 1. After that, port 2 shows green and hers connects fine. There has been no power surge that I know of.

When I try to connect to a page, I get Safari's "You are not connected to the internet" message. When I click on the "network diagnostics" button, it also tells me that there is no internet connection. Also, I have no access via Mail.

So, with all that, I know the ISP server is up and that the router and modem are working. I must deduce that the problem is cable- or CPU-related. Any thoughts?

BTW, I am on a G4 running OS 10.4

Thanks

Dr. Webster's picture
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Try a new cable first. If ano

Try a new cable first. If another, known-good cable doesn't work, you've got a fried Ethernet jack on your computer.

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Ethernet cable/jack

And if it is the jack, is that easily replaced by a non-technician (me)? Or does it require soldering, etc.? It seems more likely to me that the jack would fail rather than a cable. Does that make sense?

coius's picture
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normally

when someone says that a jack is fried, it's usually the chipset stops talking with anything outside the chip (c'ept the board) but, the jack becomes dead. did you check to see if the ethernet card comes up in 10.4? if its doesn't, it might be that the card in the machine is fried
it's an easy fix if it is, just get a PCI Card. If it's the router/switch/modem, then you will need a new one of those. But, yes, check the cables first. Also, make sure the Power adapters to the devices are putting out the voltage they should be (easy to check that). If all else fails, you might need to call the ISP to come out, and see what they can do (the costliest method) Hopefully this helps. Otherwise, i have no idea what to do

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Not the cable

I plugged in a brand new cable with no results, so it appears to not be a cable issue. By checking to see if the ethernet card comes up in 10.4, if you mean going into System Profiler, here's what it tells me:

Under ">Hardware" and the sub-heading "PCI card", it says "no information found".

Under ">Network" if "Built-in Ethernet" is highlighted, I get a page of information. And under the "Locations" sub-heading, there is even more info under "Built-in Ethernet". Not sure what that tells me, though.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

madmax_2069's picture
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have you hooked the modem dir

have you hooked the modem directly up to your comp. some modems require you to hook the directly up to a comp. and turn off the modem and then shut down the comp. then after about 2 minutes turn the modem back on with the modem connected directly to the comp after the modem shows its connected turn on the comp. make shure the network settings are set properly to the ethernet port your trying to use. and once started up look to see if the pref file is not screwed up for the network or internet. or mabe reinstalling the OS might work.

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Fixed!

Not sure what caused it but I had a technician come by Thursday. After checking and testing some more logical remedies, he went in and reset some network settings, trashing some prefs, unchecking and rechecking some settings, etc. until everything was back up. His best explanation was that an obscure conflict must have occured and the system just needed to have it's throat cleared. Works great now. And at minimal cost, thank goodness.

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