Network cable unplugged / 3Com Ethernet Card

Kind of a long shot... but...  Mine takes a few seconds to recognize a network if I just plug the cable in while in Windows.  Try a cold boot with the cable plugged in and see if it helps. 

i tried that already... but nothing happend.

thanks for your help.

did you find already a solution for our problem.

No. I have not resolve my problem yet. I have done every trick I can find on the web but no luck. It's already been 5 waisted days working on this junk. Maybe I'm doing something wrong that I don't know of.    :-( 

Have you tried to \release \renew in ipconfig?  Start - Help will show you how.  Search for ipconfig

'Got the same problem... I don't know how to solve it...

Note that my computer is an Inspiron 8100 with a 3com Nic/Modem combo.

Message Edited by odepalle on 11-19-2002 07:04 AM

Just browsing by - maybe I can help.  I used to fix this sort of thing for a living - now I'm a network admin.  If you don't want my help, please just say so and don't flame me.  If some of these suggetions are old hat, sorry - but I can't know how much you know from where I'm sitting.

We'll start simple -- go to start -> Settings -> Network & Dial-up Connections.  Make sure that when you right click the Local Area Connection, make sure that 'enable' is grayed out.

80% of the time, when everything seems to be set up correctly on the machine, problems like these are related to the physical medium - ESPECIALLY connections that work sometimes/don't work sometimes.  So, even though it's a no-brainer, check every cable connection from the laptop to the outlet/hub/router/cable mode/etc.  Unplug and replug - make sure it snaps.  Are you certain that the outlet/hub/router/cable modem/etc is live when you are experiencing these issues?  Have you tested that certainty with another machine?  If not - check it.  Does wriggling a cable at a given connection fix the problem?  If so, unless it's the connection to your machine, there's nothing Dell will/can do.  Are any of you using a wireless access point in the setup somewhere (other than the connection directly to your machine, obviously)?  Sharing a friend or roommate's connection in a dorm?  Running cables near large electronic equipment (like a stereo)? 

To put it another way, if your connection works in one place, and not another, then there's nothing wrong with your drivers or your machine.  There's some detail we need to find.  If the connection looks like it has enabled, then the 'ipconfig' suggestion is great, especially if you are using DHCP, and you probably are.  Although this should self-configure when you attach, there are lots of machines trying to handle DHCP these days, and not every home-user router is particularly adept at the job, and sometimes servers are not configured correctly (on, say, a college campus).  Definitely try to release/renew the IP.  However, if you are being told that there is no connectivity, then there is no IP to release (as you may have realized ). 

That leaves us with the configuration of the card, and again, if it works _sometimes_, then this could go either way, but it leans toward the connection and not the machine.  There are a few cases where you might have to set the network speed under certain router configurations, but this is fairly rare.  Nevertheless, you can try the following:  Open up 'Configuration' in the properties of the card WHILE PHYSICALLY ATTACHED to the network in question.  First, disable your 3com connection (or whatever make your physical connection is), but KEEP THE CABLE PLUGGED in.  *MAKE SURE* that this connection is disabled before you proceed.  Under the advanced tab in the configuration, 'Link Speed and Duplex' is probably set to 'Auto Detect'.  You can try a setting, close out, enable the card, and see if the connection kicks in after a few seconds.  Go through all of the link speeds listed.  Just REMEMBER TO REVERESE THE PROCESS before you go to another network.  ***CAUTION*** DO NOT leave these settings on anything but 'Auto Detect' if this does not fix your problem.  'Full Duplex' does NOT equate to a faster connection unless full duplex is also set on the router.  If you do not know about such things, then just follow my instructions and you'll be fine.  BUT PLEASE NOTE -  Setting duplex incorrectly will make things WORSE for you, not better.  Furthermore, I don't recommend you start playing with the other settings under the advanced tab.  Make sure you know how to undo anything you do.  Otherwise, you may be buying a new nic when the tech support at Dell can't figure out what you've done.  You've been warned.  Dell's 1st tier of tech is NOT trained at resolving these issue (not well trained, anyway) - and they have no idea, beyond the defaults, of what these settings do.  I'm not trying to fear-monger or bash here, but I want to help and keep you out of the woods at the same time.  Blame the fact that we're having our first child in a few months. 

I hope all of you have some success with these tips.  If not, post as much information about your network setup, kinds of hardware involved in the network, the EXACT issue as best you can describe (not getting packets vs not getting linked, for example, are very different), and any details that you think might be pertinent.  I don't need to know anything about your pc that doesn't relate to the network cards/connections - so no need to post it.  I do need to know everything you can tell me about your network.  What connects to what would be great if you know the pieces.  Nomenclature is important here, so if you call you cable modem a router, things will get confusing.  Routers and hubs are different, and most routers act like firewalls.  These sorts of details can be sorted out later, and are of less concern.  Just know that the details you provide me are important and think a bit before you guess at something.  If you can describe the netowork setup that is working, and then describe the setup that is not, that'll help as well.

I know this is frustrating.  Believe me.  But it's not as difficult to resolve as it sounds (I should say 'usually').

I'll check back regularly until we get it resolved, or get stuck -provided you want my help.

 

-joel (joriki)

I had this issue, I fixed it after doing some hunting. I had the long pause between cord connection and detection. Go into the device manager, and go to your 3com card properties and select advanced. Go through the list and write down what you have for future reference and then change the settings to this:

802.1p: Disable
Cable Hold off timer: 0
Cable to Detect timer: 0
DoubleNego: Enable
Down poll rate: 8
Flow Control: Enable
Init Delay Count: 0
LinkCheck: Enable
Media Type : Auto
PHYCompat: Enable
RxChecksum Offload: Enable
TxChecksum Offload: Enable

This fixed all of my network problems. Especially the detection issues and long pauses.

Snag this driver and install it.

ftp1.us.dell.com/network/R41703.EXE

I know it says it's for Optiplex, but 3Com is 3Com. It will work. And it might just fix issues with link light/Media Disconnected.

I have exact the same problem, yet no solution for it. I tried it on three operating systems (win2k, XP, 98 - all fresh installed). The network card is perfectly installed in the device manager.
But there are no lights blinking, it seems as if the network adapter is inactive. Ok, I thought, try it with an external PCMCIA-Network-Adapter. No help, it's exactly the same problem.
AND: It's NOT the cable or the network. If I put the very same cable into my other computer, everythings fine - if I put it in one of my network-adapter of my Inspiron - no connection, no lights blinking.
I would really appreciate if we can solve this...

cheers

NevaMind

Message Edited by NevaMind on 11-20-2002 10:28 AM

Stonent,

How did you arrive at these settings?  Magic?  Trial and error? "Hunting" --- where?

My 3C920 NIC on Latitude C840 works OK on various networks with the default settings, which are quite different from yours.

The reason I got interested in its parameters was that when my Lat840 running XP Pro SP1 is connected to my I7K 98SE with Dell FastEthernet 10/100 Base-TX by 3Com, Model 3CCFE575BT-D, either via a crossover cable or through a router, the transfers originated on 98SE (98<-XP and 98->XP) are about 6.5 MB/s, quite a bit faster than those originated on XP (3.6 MB/s for XP<-98, 1.3 MB/s for XP->98).  Would you think that the NICs parameters are relevant? My current guess is that this is another "feature" of XP...

My solution fixed that issue.

I can tell you the likely source to this problem.... I have the same 8200 and integrated ethernet card. 

The integrated 3Com card is weak in its transceiver and cannot drive long cable lengths.  I have proven it out in a few ways (and told the DELL support people about this as well).

1) I had a 100' Cat5 cable to the Switch and I got the "not connected:" problem consistently.  When I plugged in my Xircom ethernet PCMCIA card into the 8200 and connected it to the same 100'cable - NO PROBLEM

2) I replaced my 100' cable with a 6' cable to the switch - the 3Com card connect with no problems.  I have tried a 25' cable and I still get the problem.

3) My motherboard was replaced (which provided me a new 3Com card as well since its integrated) and the problem still occured with the new 3Com card.

Basicaly, Dell has put a DUD 3Com card into our expensive 8200 which does not comply to Ethernet Cable length limits.

I really am not happy with this problem as I am a network architect and use my ethernet card for many sork situations - the only solution is to ensure you are close to the Ethernet Switch and use a short cable, or, purchase an additional ethernet card like the Xircom that complies to the Ethernet Standards.

AND HOPE DELL WILL ADMIT TO THIS BEING A PROBLEM AND REPLACING OR COMPENSATING US FOR THESE ETHERNET CARDS.

Perry Freiling

hi friends
i was the person who started the discussion to this topic. thank you to everyone who helped to find a soloution. mr stonents replay could fix my problem. i changed the properties of the 3com card like he recommended.

thank you again.
adrian

802.1p: Disable
Cable Hold off timer: 0
Cable to Detect timer: 0
DoubleNego: Enable
Down poll rate: 8
Flow Control: Enable
Init Delay Count: 0
LinkCheck: Enable
Media Type : Auto
PHYCompat: Enable
RxChecksum Offload: Enable
TxChecksum Offload: Enable