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It will not connect to the internet through my (working) DSL modem:
After going through the Dell driver download page I now have 6 devices listed under Network Adapter - all with yellow Exclamation points
The Network Connections page of the control panel has but one heading -'Incoming' - nothing else - no LAN or High-Speed Internet, no Wizard, just 'Incoming', which says 'no clients connected'.
At this point I have NO idea what to do....
A system restore to several months ago failed to make any difference.
The lack of any "connections" indicates the network card is not detected/installed. This is confirmed by the Device Manager. I would recommend you go to the Dell drive download page for specific model, download all the drivers related to "Networking", and then install the packages on your computer. After that, go back to device manager, right-click on each of those devices with an exclamation point on it, and select "Uninstall." Then restart. Hopefully, after Windows restarts, the devices will be installed and usable. If they aren't, there are two potential causes. 1) The hardware is defective. 2) Your Windows installation has more serious issues with it.
-Ryan Adams
Free Computer Tips and more:http://RyanTAdams.com
Paid Tech Support: Black Diamond
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Did as you suggested, to no avail. I now have one device (a 3Com 10/100 Mini PCI Ethernet Adapter) under Network Adapters in DM (yellow !, will not start).
This laptop was working fine two weeks ago when it was using a wireless card to connect to a router. Now the router has gone away and she wants to use it as a wired laptop - connecting directly to the modem.
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Looks like you still installed the wrong or incompatible network adapter driver, go to this Dell download page and take look on the 3com network card driver, you can test to install it(uninstall all other faulty network card drivers first) and try again.
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If nothing else works, back up all the data on the laptop that you don't want to lose and then reinstall the operating system on it from the recovery CD/partition.
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"I now have 6 devices listed under Network Adapter - all with yellow Exclamation points "
That isn't right. Delete them all and reboot maybe. See if only one comes up.
Then use help and support pages to find detailed system information. It will tell you the type of nic. Then go to the Dell site and get the drivers for that nic.
Playing to the angels
Les Paul (1915-2009)
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That isn't right. Delete them all and reboot maybe. See if only one comes up.
You're absolutely correct jefro, that isn't right. But, I'd bet you cash money up front that if the user takes this advice, they'll find after rebooting they now have "Local Area Connection 7" which also doesn't work any more than the previous 6 did.
The problem is, it's a Dell *gag*choke*cough*
We're forced to use them where I work and I've seen this exact situation more times than I care to think about.
What usually happens is, for whatever reason, the NIC stops working correctly so someone removes it in device manager and reboots thinking that will fix the issue. After the reboot, you now have "Local Area Connection 2". It doesn't work either so they try the same thing again and after that reboot now have "Local Area Connection 3" and on and on and on ad infinitum.
Until you get mad, wipe the drive completely and reinstall. Then your NIC begins to work correctly and you're back to "Local Area Connection"
Which is why I recommended it.
Perhaps I should have explained in more detail in my original response. I likely didn't because it embarrasses me that we've had Dell forced on us too. Regardless, I've explained now and I wager no matter what the OP tries, the only thing that will work is to backup all important data and then do a clean install.
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"Looks like you still installed the wrong or incompatible network adapter driver, go to this Dell download page and take look on the 3com network card driver, you can test to install it(uninstall all other faulty network card drivers first) and try again."
Which one do you suggest - the 3Com 3CCFE575CT 10/100 MB Ethernet Cardbus PC Card - under Network Drivers
or
the 3Com 10/100 & V.90 LAN Mini-PCI?
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It depends on which on you have. The first on you list would typically be a removable "card" type of adapter that slides into the side of your laptop. The second would be one that is integrated into the computer that you can't readily remove. Download the appropriate drivers.
@Curt: I understand the problem you describe, and have seen it myself multiple times, but I fail to understand how you can blame that on Dell. Dell only makes the hardware (actually they don't even "make it", but rather just plug it all in). The problem is not a hardware problem (since a reinstall fixes the issue) but rather a software issue. In this case, the software is either Microsoft since they make the OS, or the driver provider for the network card (Intel, Broadcom, etc.). Furthermore, while reinstalling Windows will work (at lets be honest, that can often be more efficient than trying to troubleshoot the problem), there is a less destructive solution too. I can't speak for every situation, but from experience I know that this can happen when the TCP/IP stack (provided by MS) gets messed up. There are relatively simple ways to fix this. The other cause I have seen relates to a conflict with another hardware device, which again, is quite fixable.
-Ryan Adams
Free Computer Tips and more:http://RyanTAdams.com
Paid Tech Support: Black Diamond
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From RTAdams89 - "I can't speak for every situation, but from experience I know that this can happen when the TCP/IP stack (provided by MS) gets messed up. There are relatively simple ways to fix this. The other cause I have seen relates to a conflict with another hardware device, which again, is quite fixable."
What are these simple ways of which you speak?
I have done an ipconfig /release, /renew, without any result.
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From CurtR - "Until you get mad, wipe the drive completely and reinstall. Then your NIC begins to work correctly and you're back to "Local Area Connection""
Did as you suggested. No change. Didn't even have Network Adapter in device manager after the reinstall...
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Which confirms one what we established initially. Either you do not have the right drivers (in which case the adapter should show up as an unknown device in device manager) or, if it doesn't appear in device manager at all, the hardware is probably bad.
-Ryan Adams
Free Computer Tips and more:http://RyanTAdams.com
Paid Tech Support: Black Diamond
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So she has another router that she just located in the basement. I'll go get it later today, along with her wireless card, and try to get this puppy to connect wirelessly again.
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