Vostro 460 Network card not found Code 31 need to reboot 3 to 4 times

This worked: Clear the NVRAM or CMOS settings, you need to disconnect the power cord from the outlet and hold the power button for 10 seconds. Then locate the 3-pin CMOS jumper (CLEAR CMOS) on the system board. Remove the jumper plug from the CMOS jumper (CLEAR CMOS) pins 2 and 3 Place the jumper plug on the CMOS jumper (CLEAR CMOS) pins 1 and 2 and wait approximately five seconds. Remove the jumper plug and replace it on the CMOS jumper (CLEAR CMOS) pins 2 and 3. Finally plug it back in and make sure the Network cable is connected and turn it on to go into the BIOS

Wonderful !! Andre could please try it and let us know if it works for you as well ??

I am experiencing the exact problems with my 4 Vostros 460s. For some reason the network adpater is just not found by windows 7 professional. They 4 vostros were running without an problems since august until monday.

What is going on here? I havent tried the clear CMOS method yet but im not sure if CMOS will be a permanent fix. This seems to happend from a cold boot in the morning.

very dissapointed right now

We're having the same issue here. 2 of the 9 Vostro 460's we ordered in October 2011 have had their NIC's disappear.

Dell replaced one motherboard, and that computer is working again. The 2nd one just occured today. I had gone and updated all the drivers last week after the first one failed, just in case.

This is NOT an operating system issue, it is hardware or firmware. As another poster mentioned, booting into a linux operating system (liveCD), the NIC does not appear either when this problem is occuring. If I boot into linux on one of the still working machines, the nic is visible.

Hopefully a bios or fimrware update can be issued, I won't be happy if we need to swap out all 9 motherboards.

I have tried the Clearing of the CMOS as recommended.  The system worked upon reboot but that could be a fluke, since it works sometimes and loses the NIC other times. I will try it on the other machines.  This looks to be that these 460's are lemons.

I have a client with exactly the same problem on her 460.  Similar time frame as well.  They booted it up Monday Jan 16 and no network adapter showed up in Device Manager.  After fiddling around and rebooting it worked for a couple of hours but was gone again the next day.

Strange that it's all happening at a similar time...

XPS8300 owners also finding what looks to be the same problem - I believe the two machines have the same motherboard.

en.community.dell.com/.../19411982.aspx

If this CMOS NVRAM solution fixes the problem for the Vostro, hopefully it will work for the XPS too.

Je fais parti de ceux qui ont un probléme identique sous XPS8300. Aprés avoir lu longuement  tous les posts, j'ai pris la décision de mettre en place une carte réseau  Intel dans un emplacement PCI express.

Nota: ne connaissant pas votre micro , je ne sais pas si elle est applicable cependant je vous joins la procédure qui marche pour la mise en place de la carte. J'ai fait le changement depuis 3 jours plus aucun probléme (mais j'attends encore 1 semaine avant de considérer que la solution est entiérement satisfaisante).

Prodéure:

Suite aux différents posts, j'ai pris la décision de mettre une carte Intel-Gigabit CT Desktop Adapter - Adaptateur réseau - PCI Express x1 faible encombrement que j'ai acheté chez Amazon 39,43€.

Ci-joint mon expérience de remplacement:

-  Commencez par désactiver la carte Broadcam lorsque celle-ci est normalement active,

-  Arrêtez complètement l'ordinateur,

-  Retirez le capot (permet de voir l'insertion correcte de la carte),

-  Retirez le support de rétention des cartes (vis + support)

-  Placez la carte PCI Express dans l'emplacement sur la carte système et appuyez fermement.

-  Vérifiez que la carte PCI Express est entièrement insérée dans le logement.

-  Replacez le support de rétention de carte

-  Replacez le couvercle de l'ordinateur,

-  Rebranchez l'ordinateur et les périphériques aux prises électriques, puis allumez-le,

-  Le pilote va s'installer tout seul puis la connexion va se faire sans aucune intervention,

- Reste MAJ du pilote:

- Panneau de configuration - Réseau Internet- Centre réseau et partage -  Modification paramètres de la carte - Propriétés - Configurer - Pilote puis choisir MAJ Pilote.

Lancement de la recherche, une mise à jour a eu lieu, la nouvelle date du pilote est 13/10/2011.

Nota:

-  je n'ai eu aucun problème pour la mise en place  de la carte dans le connecteur PCI Express,

-  je n'ai aucun problème pour mettre en service la carte Intel. Je ne me suis pas servi du CD joint avec la carte Gigabit.

En résumé:

Je ne peux que conseiller cette solution aux personnes concernées, elle n'est pas très onéreuse  (40€) et je préfère cette solution au renvoi du micro chez DELL même si celui-ci est encore sous garanti.

English Please...

Désolé mais je ne parle que trés peu Anglais et utilise "Traduire" quand j'ai besoin.  Je vous ai tout écrit en Français.

Another of our 460's now has no nic this morning, thats 3 of 9 so far.

And today another one, thats 4 of 9.

Where is the recall Dell?

Just to add to the public database, I also had this exact same problem with one of my three Dell 460's that were purchased back around May of 2011.  The issue developed around November 2011 IIRC.  I noticed that the Broadcom Gigibit NIC was not being recognized in Windows 7 Home Premium.  It took 3-4 reboots before it would be picked up and all would be normal again.  This would only happen on cold boots in the morning.

Dell Tech support ended up remotely logging in to disable all non-essential drivers/programs on load, but the problem reappeared the next morning so they ended up sending someone out to swap out the motherboard.  It's been working fine ever since.

I have ordered three more systems for work, but I'm a little concerned especially reading about other people's reports of similar NIC problems.  Hopefully this problem might be correctable with a future BIOS/firmware release and isn't a manufacturing hardware defect.

We are also have same issue with out vostro 460.  We have 2 and they both lose all network connections and require a rmultiple reboots to get the nic to be recognized again.   PC's were fine in the beginning.  Issue started happening a few months ago.  We are also running the Trend that came with the machines.  I ran a test and when the user leaves the machine on all week, their network connections stay.  It's only when they turn off their pcs and the end of the day and attempt to turn it back on in the morning where the network card is missing.

In the interest of trying to mediate the problem, I wonder if Dell might offer a free PCI-E gigabit ethernet card to those experiencing problems until they lockdown the source of the onboard NIC issue.  That might create some goodwill towards users facing lost productivity due to this problem.  They could then have their systems functioning 100% again while a more permanent solution is worked on, and when that solution arrives have the option of pursuing it or not.

Sending out a few ethernet cards to affected customers might help get them working sooner than waiting for a tech to replace the motherboard.  In addition that might be the end of the issue with some clients as their primary need would be restoring their network connectivity rather than face further random downtime.

I'm just not certain whether the new motherboard replacements might develop the same issue after X number of months resulting in unhappy customers once again.  As long as those clients don't mind losing one of the available PCI-E slots to an ethernet card, this might satisfy a fair percentage of people.  Surely the cost of mailing out an ethernet card and the card itself might be more cost effective than potentially losing good customers, tying up support staff, sending out techs to replace motherboards, etc.  Personally I wouldn't mind receiving a free ethernet card to correct the issue than wonder whether my replacement motherboard's NIC will continue functioning after the warranty period expires.  

Losing the use of one PCI-E slot isn't the end of the world for me as these are used as mainly business machines, and honestly I have never populated every peripheral slot in a computer ever.  It's just hearing about users with 60 system offices who are having 4 out of 10 Dell machines go down vowing never to again buy Dell because of it - that sort of thing never is good for future Dell business.

Has anyone here found a fix for this yet?