"Network cable unplugged" status when known good LAN cable is plugged in

Since you didn't mention it explicitly, I'll go ahead and ask -- what was on the other end of the "known good network cable"?  Was it plugged directly into a switch/hub?  Or just to a wall jack in your office? 

Hi jpm121 - Thanks for the response.  I was beginning to wonder if anyone was out there.

To answer your question, the other end of the LAN cable was plugged into a junction box.

I'm sure the LAN cable was good.  It was plugged into a desktop PC.  (To be specific, the one I'm typing on right now, with same LAN cable I used.)  Before trying the LAN cable on my Inspiron, I logged on to the desktop and surfed around awhile, to make sure I connectivity with the outside world.  No problem with the desktop PC, "Network cable is unplugged" with my Inspiron.

FWIW, the LAN cable is labeled (from the manufacturer?)

D8CM   7FT  2.1M  36/02N

Okay, I had to ask to be sure.  I've had users plug into a random wall jack somewhere in the office but not realize that at the other end the patch panel wasn't plugged into anything...

Sounds like a standard Cat5/5e patch cable.  If your other PC was able to surf, it's clearly a laptop problem.

Since yesterday, I'm facing almost the same problem with my inspiron 5100. When i plug in a good network cable, the orange light is on but the green (data exchange or whatever) is out. Sometimes, for one or two minutes i'm able to connect to the internet, so i think this had to do with hardware or something.....

 

The cable is OK (tried other laptops), so the strange thing is that sometimes i do have a connection for a short periode of time. What can i do??

A real cheap and qucik fix would be to spend $20 on a NIC card, disable the onboard adapter, and see if that solevs your issue.  At least you will have access until they install the new board.

After about 45 minutes on the phone this morning with Dell Tech Support, they've agreed to replace my motherboard.

I'll report back next week and let people know if my problem is fixed.

Wish me luck!

How do i solve my problem (good cable plugged in (both sides))? Is there any chance it has something to do with software? Orange light burning, but the green light is off. What do these two lights mean? And do these problems occur ofter with inspiron 5100?

Thanks for all help......

Orange LED on - Link 100Mbps
Other LED off - No network activity

From your Desktop, click the "Dell Support" icon, or, from the Start Menu, select
Start -> All Programs -> Dell Applications -> Support -> Support

Once you have the Dell Support program up and running, select
Reference -> User's Guide -> Device Guides (left side menu) -> Broadcom Ethernet User Guide -> Contents (right side menu) -> Introduction, then scroll to the bottom.

I have a similar problem with my i8500. The solution I have found is to go into "network connections", disable the "network bridge" and re-enable it. After about 20sec the connection to your network should be restored.

I dont know why this works but it does for me. However, I dont have a docking station so am not affected by the other problem you mentioned.

 

Brendan

brendanp - Thanks for the suggestion.

However, I don't think it applies to me.  When I go into "Network Connections" (Start -> Control Panel -> Network and Internet Connections -> Network Connections), I don't see any section labeled "Network Bridge".

I assume that this means that I currently don't have a network bridge enabled.  (I don't remember ever enabling one.)

If I'm wrong about how to check for the existance of a network bridge, please let me know.

I think it is the correct way. I have my control panel set to classic.

Windows created the network bridge all by itself when I ran the "Set up a home or small office network" wizard. My network currently consists of 3 pcs, one 10/100 hub, with one pc sharing its internet connection with the other two.

Brendan

Your checking for the bridge was correct - you don't need or want one there.

I've had my Dell for several years working on a LAN with Cable modem, no problems with a 5 PC network.  Now within 2 days of each other, possibly the same day, I can not access the network from 2 of the five computers.  I am seeing posts like this all over the internet with a quick google search.  I'm suspicious that we are victims of a virus that has yet to detected by Norton and the other big boys.  I've downloaded the latest definitions onto floppy and re-scanned to no avail.  I've already tried the networking peice.  I've traded cables with another machine that works fine with both cables.  I've connected directly to the cable modem, along with resetting IP addresses, etc to no avail.  I'm considering buying another NIC just to try it but I'm seriously doubting that will do anything except become a wild goose chase. After all, two of my five are not accessing the network and it happened in the same timeframe, both were AIM users and possibly download a virus from there or an infected html page.

To all - I see I forgot to fill you in on "the rest of the story".

In addition to the LAN problems I mentioned at the start of the thread, I was also having problems booting. I couldn't boot on battery power alone, I had to either be docked to my APR, or at least have the AC adaptor attached. (The subject of another thread - "Inspiron 8500 Not Powering on When Un-docked".

To make a long story short, I called Dell Tech Support and convinced them to replace my motherboard.

Once the new motherboard was installed, both problems (can't connect to LAN and can't boot on batter power alone) went away. (Now if I could just get rid of the problems I'm having printing to my HP all-in-one USB printer when docked. Dell Support wants me to buy a powered USB hub to solve my problems.)

Thanks for the various comments on this thread; they were all useful in one way or another.

Sorry for the late notice - my bad.

Oneguytrading - I hear what you're saying about thinking the LAN problems are being caused by a virus which the standard anti-virus software isn't detecting. When the problem hit me, I thought the same thing.

But...

What kind of self-respecting virus would, as one of its primary actions, shut off access to the Internet, even by accident or stupid virus code writing by its creator?

I mean, once it infect (say) your PC, how does it get to another PC? By floppy? IR link? Bluetooth?

Heck, if it kills Internet access on infected computers, how did it get to *YOUR* computer in the first place?