NIC card: green lights/orange lights? 3

[cadenton]

I just got a new Dell desktop. In the painful process of getting it set up online with my existing home Linksys DSL wired router, I was able to get all the computers working w/the router...then a few hours later, I lost all connection w/the Internet. Sometimes I could get the new Dell to connect to the Internet by by-passing the router and pluging directly into my DSL modem

After nearly 6 hours on the phone with both Earthlink and Dell -- and deleting the router completely from my setup --the Dell folks were able to get the new Dell back online (something about the computer assigning the old router IP address to my computer; we fixed the compter's "winsock"?).

My question is this: When I first had the new Dell computer working online the two little lights on the NIC card (one green; the other orange) were both either on or flashing. Now only the orange light is lit/flashing. Can you tell me what these two lights mean/do -- and if the green on should be on? My Internet connection seems to work fine, but I just have the feeling that the green light should be lit/flashing. It's an Intel 100 NIC card.

 

[kjv1611]

Well, it would vary to the particular card, and likely your particular network settings. By the way, if you use broadband of any sort, you'd best use a router in between. If you got the router from Dell, try sending it back, and buying your own Linksys router, they are the best of the best. Get a Linksys BEFSX41 if you don't intend to use wireless. Oftentimes the router will stop viruses and such from getting to your machine in the first place. If you don't have it, then your software firewall will be left alone to combat IP pinging viruses, and they do slip past software firewalls if used alone. With broadband, you want a physical firewall (router with firewall built in), software firewall, antivirus, and antispyware apps. For spyware apps, try Spywareblaster (all one word) and Ad-Aware. I use these along with Norton antivirus and firewall and a linksys router, and have no problems. Spywareblater stops spyware from being installed in the first place, and ad-aware removes any possible spyware/adware cookies/programs, etc.

Stephen
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV

 

[rockerfellerz]

hmmm, the difference between the green and orange lights (without knowing the card make or model) is probably the connection speed, and/or full or half duplex settings.
when connected through the router the card is most likely running at 100mbps, when directly to the modem, 10mbps. 10mbps is likely the top speed of the modem which is auto detected by the nic card. A lot of cards will have two led's, one comes on solid green to indicate that it has a link, and the other flashes to indicate activity.

If you're going through Hell...keep going... (Winston Churchill)
RocKeRFelLerZ

 

[ceh4702]

If you have a model number and manufacturer for a NIC card you can look it up. Normally on a computer all you have is integrated, and you go by the chip that was used and maybe the motherboard manual. By the way, some NIC cards have 3 lights. Normally if they are lighting up and flashing you are probably connecting.

Windows XP will check to see if the NIC is working before it allows you to go into the network wizard.

If you use a router you set the ISP info up on the router. You can Alias the address of one Nic card on the Router and it will appear all traffic comes from one NIC Card and you tell the networking wizard in windows XP you are connecting through a LAN.

I use an old Linksys 4 port wired router. Works great.

I tries setting my LAN up on my router for about 3 days once. All I had to do to fix it was turn off the Cable Modem and turn it back on. After that it worked great.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[cdogg]

cadenton,
You said it was working fine for a while. When it stopped, did you check the router configuration status at 192.168.1.1? Did it still show connected?

I'm assuming you have the ID/Password saved in the router to connect to your DSL ISP. You should also select the option to "auto reconnect every 30 sec".

Assuming the router is OK, then the other possibility is the NIC having problems obtaining a fresh IP from the router. To force it, you can use the ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew from a command prompt. For a connection to a router, nothing has to be different about the network configuration.

NIC's differ, but usually there's one LED that stays solid to show that the connection is there (powered). A second LED is the activity light which only flashes when there is activity.


~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884

 

[cdogg]

For future reference, post this type of question in one of the following forums:

forum916
forum585


~cdogg
[tab]"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind";
[tab][tab]- Aristotle
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884