gx240 - network driver won't install

Question

I have an Optiplex GX240 running Windows 2000.  We had to replace the motherboard because the system was dead.   Everything is fine except the network which we cannot get to work.  This is supposed to be a 3Com 3C905C Integrated Network Card.  We've tried to install the driver from the file R41703.EXE from the Dell download site.  So download and unzip to directory, add new hardware and point it to the folder with the driver.   The install says, ?(yellow) ethernet controller   'Windows was unable to locate a driver for this device.  To search another location click Back...'   We tried a fresh install of windows xp but have the same problem.   This is the second replacement motherboard from Dell.  I can't believe we've gotten two motherboards with bad ethernet.   The lights on the network port flash so it is seeing traffic.  Windows recognizes that it has new hardware and that it is an ethernet card and runs the New Hardware Wizard.    Any ideas on how to fix would be appreciated.

Dennis62 · Answer

The nic is enabled in the bios.  My assistant did try a pci nic.  He said it did the same thing.  It may be worth another try though.  Of course we paid Dell for this replacement motherboard and would like it to work.

lgentle06 · Answer

Check the BIOS under Integrated Devices, making sure the NIC is enabled. Try a PCI NIC if you have one.

lgentle06 · Answer

It does sound like you got a flaky mainboard. When the PCI NIC was attempted, did you try all the PCI slots, or just one?

Dennis62 · Answer

Ok, have tried a pci nic that was working in another computer in this computer. I get the same message with this nic as I was getting with the integrated network. I tried all four pci slots with this card and verified that the driver I was trying to use was the correct one (smc1211tx).

Unless there are any other ideas, I guess I'll need to contact Dell and tell them that this is the second motherboard they've sent with the same strange network problem.

speedstep · Answer

You must install the chipset drivers before it will work.

Dennis62 · Answer

The problem turned out to be a hardware problem.  There was a daughter-board supplying two extra pci slots plugged into the motherboard.  When examined, it looked like something had been dropped onto this daughter-board crunching and mangling pins.  This was probably the reason the original motherboard stopped working.  This also explains why the network cards we used in the pci slots (and we tried all of them) wouldn't work -- because the pci bus was mangled.   There was no need for the daughter-board so we removed it.  Dell said the computer was not shipped with the daughter-board so apparently someone added it later.  Now everything is working.   Thanks to those that responded.

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

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