Please confirm Inspiron Integrated Network interface dead

Probably the adapter was fried thru the cable. Try a new cable. You might get lucky. Just use the wireless or you can add a separate adapter card. IMO since the computer and wireless work, use it instead of the hassle of changing to a new card. I find the wireless is better than the wired connection. Buy a UPS battery backup unit to protect the computer. Lightning could have fried the motherboard and other parts too.

This was a very odd occurrence. It appears to have clobbered the input port on the 5 port switch that feeds my entertainment center as well as the computer's network i'face so I will be replacing that along with my network interface..  The computer itself seems to have survived as did the ADSL modem/router combo box.  I appreciate the feedback. Not sure that UPS would have helped. I have surge protectors on all my power outlets (different units for computer and for switch) and the power itself never flickered.

You had protector adjacent to appliances and so far from earth ground as to be all but completely disconnected.  So protection inside electronics may have been compromised.  You made damage easier.

But first, remember how electricity works.  If a surge entered on any one port, that same current had to be outgoing - at the same time - via some other port.  If that current was incoming on any one utility wire, then at the same time, that current was flowing into earth via some other path.  What was that incoming and outgoing path?  If one does not exist, then no surge existed.

Most common path is incoming on AC main.  A common outgoing path is outgoing via DSL (since all DSL must already have effective protection installed for free).  Damage is often on an outgoing path (to DSL); not on the incoming path.

View some numbers.  How does a 2 cm part inside that protector 'block' a surge that three miles of sky could not?  It doesn't.  How does its hundreds of joules absorb a surge that can be hundreds of thousands of joules?  It doesn't.  But an adjacent protector can only 'block' or 'absorb' a surge.  Suspect a sham yet?

Same applies to hardware protection provided by a UPS.  It does not exist once we include spec numbers.

Protection means a surge current does not enter a building.  Then that current need not hunt for earth ground destructively via appliances.  How were direct lightning strikes made irrelevant over 100 years ago?  'Whole house' protection.  That costs maybe $1 per protected appliance.  And is virtually unknown to a majority only educated by advertising.  And who forget that a surge needs both an incoming and outgoing path.  Those memory lapses are how $3 power strips with ten cent protector parts sell at obscene $25 and $90 prices to naive customers.  To customers who even forgot what was taught in elementary school science (ie Ben Franklin's lightning rod).

A protector is only as effective as its earth ground.   DSL is already required to have that effective protection.  Did hearsay, wild speculation, and advertising also forget to mention that?  I believe you have some installations and wiring corrections to perform.

To close this thread, let me say that a new 5 port D-Link switch (model GO-SW-5E) and TP-Link  Gigabit PCI Express NIC ( model TG3468) fixed the immediate problems.

I'm not sure how my ADSL modem/router survived (ActionTec GT784WN) but I merely needed to reconfigure it and it works as before.

The D-Link switch swapped in and all attached devices connected. Side note: this unit is about the size of a deck of cards compared to my old unit which had a large power pack and was the size of a hardcover book.

The NIC replacement was a bit troublesome.  I installed it in the PCIE slot nearest the power supply and when I powered up my system I found that my HDMI monitor interface did not work. Neither did my SD card reader.  After a bit of head scratching it occured to me that there might be a resource conflict.  I moved the card to the slot nearest the chassis wall and all came up and worked fine.

I appreciate the schooling on the whole house power conditioning. Right now I am in the process of building a new house and will be sure to include the whole house surge arrestor (power, telephone, no cable) and the localized power conditioning for the computer and entertainment equipment.

Surge Supressors work once then die.  They need to be replaced every so often.  A good ground with heavy copper wire attached to ridge vent lightning arrestor also helps.

http://lightningrod.com/

View numbers.  How does a 2 cm part inside that protector 'block' a surge that three miles of sky could not?  It doesn't.  How does its hundreds of joules absorb a surge that can be hundreds of thousands of joules?  It doesn't.  An adjacent protector can only 'block' or 'absorb' a surge.  These near zero protectors often fail on a first surge.

Protector failure means protector parts disconnect from a surge as fast as possible. It leaves a surge still connected to an appliance. Is that effective protection?  Of course not.

Protection means a surge current does not enter a building.  Then that current need not hunt for earth ground destructively via appliances.  

Effective protector remains functional for decades and after many direct lightning strikes.  No one knows a surge exists.  Therefore the many, who only know what advertising says, would not recommend this superior and effective solution.  They need to see a protector fail to know a surge existed.

Any protector that fails on a surge is grossly undersized, obscenely profitable, does not claim to protect from destructive surges (hundreds of thousands of joules), and typically only claims to absorb near zero (hundreds or a thousand) joules.  Worse, those near zero protectors have also created fires.  Numbers say why.

Ineffective protectors (with near zero joules numbers) fail on a first surge.  Effective protectors remain functional after many direct lightning strikes and for decades.  Effective solution answers this question: where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate?  That protector remains functional after many surges.  A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. 'One shot' and obscenely overpriced protectors do not have and will not discuss facts and numbers - are ineffective.

If one properly installed a proven solution, then he did not even know a surge existed.  Would not have computer or protector damage.

Lightning rods are earthed to protect a structure.  Protectors are earthed to protect appliances.  Neither must fail on any surge.