XPS8300 Broadcom wired Network Adapter Disappeared

Reinstalling the WiFi adapter isn't going to help with an onboard NIC problem. Try disabling the WiFi adapter in Device Manager, if it's enabled now, and then reboot.

Is this the Broadcom NIC driver you installed?

Is it possible that video card isn't compatible with this system, and/or there's a conflict between the card and the NIC for resources (IRQs)?

Did you set a System Restore point before installing the new card and its drivers? You might try re-installing the original video card and its drivers (or reverting to that System Restore point after the old card is re-installed) to see if the NIC works again.

Have you tried running the Windows networking troubleshooter to see if it can identify problem(s)?

And if all else fails, there's always a USB>Ethernet dongle which will give you a wired connection to the LAN. I use one of these on a laptop that doesn't have an onboard NIC and it works fine.  In your case, just be sure to disable the onboard NIC in BIOS setup before connecting the dongle to the PC and loading its drivers.

Hi Ron,

Thanks for the quick response!  I have posted on several other boards without much interest.

I tried to "hit the highlights" when I wrote about the problem so as to not write a novel.

I uninstalled the onboard wifi and rebooted, p & p reinstalled it but still no wired NIC.

Yes, that's the Broadcom drivers that are installed, I even tried to install a current set from Intel since it's their board but they won't finish the install (Dell and their lock out).  Thought of forcing an install with these drivers but like I said, can't get the NIC into device manager to work with. I had the idea of IRQ conflict but since the NIC doesn't show up it's hard to do anything.

Yes, it looks like the GTX960 isn't compatible with the firmware that's installed even though it's the same brand and same GPU chip maker.  I did replace the old card first thing and did a system restore and then a Windows repair install with no luck.

I've run several troubleshooters including the one that you mentioned they just report that there's problem but no solution.

I also failed to mention that this is a dual boot system with two SSDs. Both Windows 7 installs have the same problem so it looks like it's the motherboard that's screwed up.  Since I have the latest firmware installed with no update anticipated then it looks like it's a brick as far as a networked device.  I'm saying that since I have a Wifi router instead of an access point so even though I can connect to the router I can't connect to the rest of the network systems the way things are setup now plus the transfer speed is so slow I can transfer data using a USB 3 flash drive quicker.

Thanks for the tip for the USB dongle, wasn't familiar with them but will check them out.

Now I'm TOTALLY confused!  :emotion-7:

For starters, it's not an Intel board. It's a Dell custom board, probably manufactured for Dell by Foxconn or some other contractor. So please stop trying to install random drivers from who knows where...

What's the current status of the video card? Do you have old or new card installed and which video card's drivers are installed? Go back to your original config with old video card and the correct Win 7 drivers for that card.

You seem to be mixing apples and oranges. The onboard (wired) NIC has nothing to do with the add-in WiFi card. The WiFi mini-card plugs into a socket on the motherboard. It's totally unnecessary for function of the onboard (wired) NIC. The WiFi card can be physically unplugged from the motherboard without affecting wired NIC function.  Only the wired NIC is directly part of the motherboard and isn't removable.

The wired NIC and wireless card shouldn't be enabled at the same time. So go into Device Manager and DISABLE the WiFi card.

After the WiFi card is disabled in Device Manager, power off normally and connect the Ethernet cable to rear of PC and to the router. Now power off the router, wait a couple of min and then restart the router. NOTE: If router and modem are separate devices, you probably need to power the modem off too. If they are separate devices, make sure you follow the instructions on which needs to be powered on first (router or modem) before you turn either of them on again.

Give router (and modem) a few min to power up and establish contact with your ISP's network. Then reboot the PC and open BIOS setup.  Make sure the Onboard LAN Controller is set to Enabled, and the Onboard LAN Boot ROM is Disabled. Be sure to save the changes before exiting BIOS setup.

When the PC reboots, open Device Manager and enable the Broadcom NIC, if not already enabled (and WiFi router Disabled). Then reboot again. When you get back to the desktop, look at the rear panel where the Ethernet cable connects to the PC to see if any LEDs are on:

• Green (left) — A good connection exists between a 10/100-Mbps network and the computer.
• Amber (left) — A good connection exists between a 1000-Mbps network and the computer.
• Off — The computer is not detecting a physical connection to a network.

If you can't enable the onboard NIC in Device Manager and/or the Ethernet LEDs are off on rear of PC, reinstall the two Win 7 chipset drivers, here and then here. Without functional chipset drivers, the Broadcom NIC driver may not install or may not work. Reboot after installing the chipset drivers and see if you can enable the NIC in Device Manager (if not enabled) and check the Ethernet LED status on rear of PC.