# no lights on NIC



## fevito (Dec 10, 2009)

I am having some trouble with a bunch of Dimension 3000s. I have been working on a room full of computers. Most of them are optiplex GX620s but 6 of them are Dimension 3000s. What I have had to do is run KillDisk, reformat, and reinstall XP on all of these machines. I have the original driver CDs and I install all the relevant drivers and then I'm good to go. However, with the Dimensions, I install the Intel PRO/100 VE network driver but even after that, when I plug in the ethernet cable, it still says a network connection is unplugged and there are no lights (connect/activity) on the NIC whatsoever. I know they worked before the reformat. All of the optiplexes are fine. I know the RJ45 and CAT-5 are both fine because I am connected to the internet on x number of optiplexes, but when I unplug and switch it to any of the Dimensions, no dice. I went on the Dell website to see if there was a newer version of the driver, but the one they have is the same one I have on the cd (7.1.12.0,A00). I downloaded it anyway and tried putting that on one of the Dimensions in case something is wrong with ONLY that part of the driver cd I have, but still no dice. I downloaded the diagnostics driver from the website too and installed that. When I run the tests on there, "link" is the only one that fails (although all the other tests pass even without the cat-5 plugged in) and the help it offers you if link fails is to get a new cat-5 or whatever. I have looked on tons of forums but can't find anything. Also, in device manager it says this device is working properly. I checked BIOS and the onboard NIC is set to "on." I tried "on with PXE" but that didn't work either. Thanks in advance,
Fev

P.S. I also have one Dimension 3100 that I had never checked the NIC on. I just booted it up and it's the same thing - no lights on the NIC. it's also a PRO/100 VE that says its fine in the device manager (driver 8.0.15.0) but I havent tried all the nonsense I did with the 3000s.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Well, the indications are that you have the wrong driver. Since it's unlikely all the hardware suddenly crapped out, that's the missing link.


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## fevito (Dec 10, 2009)

I went to Dell's website and put in a service tag for one of the 3000s and also for the lone 3100 and in both cases they only had one driver and it was the same as the one on the original driver cd that i have (there is one cd for the 3000 and a different one for the 3100) - all of the other drivers on the cds work


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

The only other possibility is the cable or the port you're using isn't working.


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## fevito (Dec 10, 2009)

the port I am using I know is live and good and so is the cat 5. I have literally used the cat5 from the same port on 35+ optiplexes which all work fine but as soon as I put it in any of the dimensions, nothing - no light or anything


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## fevito (Dec 10, 2009)

i'll bump this


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## fevito (Dec 10, 2009)

welp, just to try every last thing, I tried a different cat5 even though the one i was using worked perfectly for 35+ other machines and the new cat5 cable immediately produced lights on the NIC and it works. i am dumbfounded


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Like I said, cable or port. :grin:


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