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.
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...
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.
Not sure - the people that have tried the CMOS NVRAM reset have not posted since reporting success.
Does that mean it is a long term solution, or does it mean they can't get on the internet anymore ?
I hope it is a solution but since my machine hasn't developed this fault I can't test the fix - need more people with missing network adapters to try it.
It didn't necessarily happen every day from cold start (probably 80% of the time though) - but since we installed the drivers suggested by PudgyOne - here: Broadcom BCM5784M LAN or better known as Broadcom Netlink Gigibit Ethernet (64-bit drivers) <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed / replaced from this post by Dell>
- we haven't had the problem.
Even though that was an old driver, and not the current one - so far it has solved the problem for us!
Telson A
3 Apprentice
•
904 Posts
0
January 17th, 2012 17:00
Wonderful !! Andre could please try it and let us know if it works for you as well ??
M-type
1 Message
0
January 18th, 2012 15:00
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
GreenEnvy22
7 Posts
0
January 19th, 2012 08:00
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.
Andre S
6 Posts
0
January 19th, 2012 14:00
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.
big_m
1 Message
0
January 19th, 2012 15:00
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...
GTE2
11 Posts
0
January 20th, 2012 00:00
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.
Telson A
3 Apprentice
•
904 Posts
0
January 20th, 2012 10:00
English Please...
GreenEnvy22
7 Posts
0
January 23rd, 2012 06:00
Another of our 460's now has no nic this morning, thats 3 of 9 so far.
GreenEnvy22
7 Posts
0
January 24th, 2012 05:00
And today another one, thats 4 of 9.
Where is the recall Dell?
hunkahunkaburni
10 Posts
0
January 24th, 2012 17:00
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.
CjCummings
2 Posts
0
January 25th, 2012 08:00
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.
hunkahunkaburni
10 Posts
0
January 25th, 2012 14:00
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.
jason629
6 Posts
0
January 26th, 2012 10:00
Has anyone here found a fix for this yet?
GTE2
11 Posts
0
January 26th, 2012 23:00
Not sure - the people that have tried the CMOS NVRAM reset have not posted since reporting success.
Does that mean it is a long term solution, or does it mean they can't get on the internet anymore ?
I hope it is a solution but since my machine hasn't developed this fault I can't test the fix - need more people with missing network adapters to try it.
SFrog
6 Posts
0
January 27th, 2012 01:00
Not sure!
It didn't necessarily happen every day from cold start (probably 80% of the time though) - but since we installed the drivers suggested by PudgyOne - here: Broadcom BCM5784M LAN or better known as Broadcom Netlink Gigibit Ethernet (64-bit drivers) <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed / replaced from this post by Dell>
- we haven't had the problem.
Even though that was an old driver, and not the current one - so far it has solved the problem for us!