Onboard LAN doesn't light up: Defective Systemboard?

[Miggy]

I finally got all the parts I needed for my new system. The board is an Asus M2N4-SLI, processor AMD 64 X2 6000+, graphics Geforce 8800 GTS.

I got it all assembled yesterday afternoon and loaded Vista Basic 64. I will say at this point that the second time I booted up the new system (after having gone into the BIOS for the normal setting tweak), it froze on the splash screen. The logo at the bottom ("Performance. Reliability... etc") was fragmented, as if it didn't load all the way, and I had to reboot. I thought that was a freak occurrence, but it has since done it too often - probably 6 times out of 20 reboots.

Now on to my main problem.

I enabled on-board LAN and had the ethernet cable plugged in while installing Vista and while setting things up. I figured it would be long enough for the cable modem to "get used to" the new card. I also powered off the cable modem for about 10 seconds and let it reset as well. After a couple of hours, the system still wasn't detecting a connection. Vista had correctly detected the Nvidia LAN Controller and it's listed in the device manager. But no connection. Finally last night, I realized the lights aren't even flashing. I spent some time trying to figure out why this might be, but came up with nothing. As a last resort, I disabled on-board and plugged in a Linksys PCI e-controller that I had lying around. That card flashed as it's supposed to, but there are no Vista drivers available for it, yet.

So, any insights into this problem? Will I just need to get a new board?

Miggy, the Thief

[Miggy]

For what it's worth, here is the result of IPCONFIG /ALL:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows IP Configuation

Host name .........................................: Miggy-PC
Primary DNS suffix..............................:
Node type...........................................: Hybrid
IP Routing enabled..............................: No
WINS Proxy Enabled...........................: No

Ethernet Adapter Local Area Connection

Media State........................................: Media disconnected
Connection-Specific DNS Suffix............:
Description.........................................: NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Physical address................................: 00-17-31-58-EF-B1
DHCP Enabled...................................: Yes
Autoconfiguration enabled....................: Yes

Tunnel Adapter Local Area Connection* 6

Media State.........................................: Media disconnected
Connection specific DNS suffix..............:
Description..........................................: isatap.<59FDCE66-54CD-46F2-83D9-C32AD7F1078A>
Physical address.................................: 00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP enabled.....................................: No
Autoconfiguration enabled.....................: Yes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It wouldn't release or renew an IP address because the media was disconnected.

I did disable and re-enable the onboard LAN to no avail. I don't think any setting in BIOS will have any affect, because even with the computer turned off, the controller's lights should flash, and it doesn't.

Miggy, the Thief

[Taxi]

Yeah, I hate to say it, but if it's enabled in the BIOS and plugged in, but not flashing, then there's most likely something wrong with the mobo. There aren't a whole lot of settings to be checked there.

[sub780lime]

I agree, sounds like somethings disconnected from that lan controller, its not getting power. Like the system specs though. Sorry this portion is crapping out on you.

[Miggy]

Okay, thanks for the verification that there's not much else to do. I don't mind buying a new board so long as I know it's necessary.

And oh, I like the specs, too. The system itself worked fine, so while I was waiting on a LAN connection, I installed the Tomb Raider Demo. Set it to 1600X1200 with AA turned all the way up. It ran insanely fast

Miggy, the Thief

[Miggy]

Well, I've decided and I'm going to order the same board tomorrow. It should get here next Tuesday, and hopefully this one will be trouble-free.

I've been trying to figure out how Vista could have detected the controller and set up the drivers for it, but the LAN not actually be working. Could the OS have just picked up from BIOS settings that a controller is enabled and set it up, but the controller itself is not getting power, and hence doesn't connect?

Miggy, the Thief

[Miggy]

You want to hear a funny ending to this story? Turns out it was the cable.

Now, I hadn't thought of that being the problem because the cable worked fine on the other computer. The new system just refused to work with it. The cable was one that my girlfriend had gotten when she first got Road Runner. I had a longer one from when I used to run two PCs with a router. Just for the heck of it, I tried that cable and it started flahing right away.

Weird, but great news for me.

Miggy, the Thief

[sub780lime]

that is good news. Occam's Razor right.