[pal]

Hello folks,

I have an older pc that I'm trying to retask. It used to be the main family computer before a new one was bought, and for a short while its hdd was in the new machine as a slave drive so files and software could be more easily transferred.

I've put it into a new case (clean + quiet power supply!), but it's the same mobo, hdd, dvd burner, and graphic adaptor - so nothing should have changed. First problem was that XP insisted it needed to be re-activated immediately. This led to the 2nd, and now more serious problem, that the lan port seems to have stopped working all together. This has prevented access to dsl, and thereby preventing re-activation, and thereby preventing completion of a boot. I am getting a connection led, and the activity led, but no communication with my dhcp server. I also checked the server itself - which is working fine with other pc's, but has not assigned an IP address for this machine.

My first thought was that Windows in the new machine had interfered with a setting on this hdd. So I booted the machine into Ubuntu with a live disk in the dvd drive. Under Ubuntu, the lan port still failed to work.

My second thought was a bios setting. So I've been through all the relevant parts of the bios and confirmed all settings as correct (onboard lan active etc.), and even checked all irrelevant settings as well, in case there was something that may tie in. Still nothing in either os.

My third thought was a hardware failure. So I installed a new lan adaptor into a pci slot. Still, it failed to work in both XP and Ubuntu.

I am hoping someone may be able to suggest a forth thought?

The system is a P4, using a MSI 661fm mobo.

Many thanks in anticipation...

Regards,

Pal