If the network light won't light up it means that either (1) the cable is bad, but you seemed to have ruled that out, (2) the device it is connecting to is bad, or (3) the network adapter is bad.  If other computers can connect to the same device, (2) can be ruled out.  For (3) start by reinstalling the drivers for the network card.  If that doesn't fix it, try running the Broadcom diagnostics (Start > All Programs > Broadcom Advanced Control Suite).

Steve

 

Steve, I have tried all of the above. There is nothing wrong with the router because I have other devices connected. There is nothing wrong with the network card since I have connected directly to my broadband modem and the green light comes on indicating that everything is fine. Since so many people are having this problem, I assume that this is a Dell problem that even they can't figure out. Thanks for your help. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

If it can connect directly to the broadband modem, it says the network card is good.  There should be absolutely no difference in connecting it to the router.  What makes you say it is a Dell problem then?  Are you sure the particular router port is good? 

Steve

I read these forums every day and I would say that 90% of the problems eventually get solved.  The ones that don't, we don't know about because the original poster doesn't post back to tell us.  I gave you three reasons that the light on the network card doesn't light up.  Since the network card works when connecting directly to the modem, that eliminates the network card as the problem.  Since the only device that is on your Dell computer that has anything to do with the problem is the network card.  It looks to me like the Dell computer is eliminated from the problem.  That leaves the router and the cable.  You say you have eliminated these as the problem as well. If you are absolutely sure that the router and the cable are not the cause of the problem, then I guess you have one of the few totally unresolvable problems.  I can't count the number of times I have gone back and forth with a user who insists that the cable cannot be the problem, only to find that after doing everything else, the only solution was to completely replace the cable.  Good luck.

Steve

Do you work for Dell?  No

I have had the same problem with my Inspiron 600m.  The Broadcom Ethernet Adapter has simply disappeared from Device Manager.  This is so frustrating.  No form of Dell tech support has been helpful.  I've been told to re-install Windows XP to rule out a hardware problem.  That's crazy...I should not have to do something that drastic.