Why wont my wired network work?

aliasojo

Ran cat6 cables round the house ages ago but didn't wire up all the wall sockets at the time, there were a couple that were left as I couldn't get near them (rooms being used as storage etc).

Anyway, up until recently the main desktop pc was joined by ethernet cable to the Netgear router, which in turn was joined to an ADSL/telephone faceplate. All worked happily.

A couple of days ago I unplugged the router to re-site it in the cupboard with the main cabinet which houses all the network gubbins and I installed the cat 6 wall plates in the room where the main pc is. The cat 6 cable runs from these to a patch panel, then from the panel to a Netgear gigabit switch.

I know the wall plates are installed correctly and there's nothing wrong with the cable as my laptop is plugged into the ethernet socket and it works fine. The led light is lit on the switch also, signifying all is working properly.

BUT, my main desktop pc will not connect now. It keeps telling me a network cable is unplugged. It will connect wirelessly but not via ethernet cable. I have no idea what to try to do to fix it.

Any ideas? Why all of a sudden will it not connect to the internet by ethernet cable when it has always done so in the past? (It has never been used wirelessly.)

The socket is fine, the cables are fine, the patch panel and switch are fine, as proved by plugging the laptop in to try it, so why wont the pc connect?

diable

Plug the PC directly in to the router and let us know what happens.

hubert_cumberdale

its nothing to do with using a cross over ethernet cable or not using a cross over cable is it

ignore that - i just re read the bit about the laptop working

JasX

just to be clear you laptop works fine on the sameethernet CABLE you are trying to get the PC working on.... and it doesn't have wireless left accidentally on and is really working from the wifi?

Russel245

You don't have 2 network connections on your PC do you? If so have you tried both?

And have you tried running the windows diagnostic tool?

aliasojo

Thanks for the replies, apologies for not returning sooner.

Found the problem accidentally...the ethernet socket on the back of the pc seems dodgy. If I plug the cable in and kinda push on it whilst holding it upwards slightly, it will work, as soon as I let go, it loses connection. No idea why all of a sudden this has happened, I can only assume it occurred when I unplugged the cable previously.

At the moment I have the cable tied to a cable above it so it's holding it up and in a bit but this clearly isn't a long term solution. How would I fix this please? Is it something I could do or is it a repair job?

esuhl

aliasojo wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, apologies for not returning sooner.

Found the problem accidentally...the ethernet socket on the back of the pc seems dodgy. If I plug the cable in and kinda push on it whilst holding it upwards slightly, it will work, as soon as I let go, it loses connection... How would I fix this please? Is it something I could do or is it a repair job?

Try a different cable first, but if that doesn't help, you could try carefully bending the contacts of the network card, or maybe cutting off the RJ45 plug and replacing it... Or solder a cable directly onto the existing socket's pins and connect to to another RJ45 socket mounted in one of the rear expansion blanking panels...? Or if you can hold the cable in place to get a good connection, superglue a 3cm extension cable in the right position...?

scottishblondie

I think if the network card is dodgy the easiest and most permanent solution would be to buy a new network card and install it to an empty expansion slot. If you have an empty expansion slot.

diable

If you are handy with a soldering iron then the joints on the board may need redoing if you aren't then buy a replacement card as mentioned by other posters.

You could also use a match or toothpick to wedge it in place temporarily.

macman

I really wouldn't bother messing about with a soldering iron-a new PCI network card is about a fiver and should take you 10 mins maximum to fit it.

DD3006

Worse case scenario if you have no spare expansion slots to install a new network card you can always go with a USB network card.. used a few in the past and they are decent kit.

ones i had were lindy similar to these HERE