[Cera]

Hi there! I'm a college student living at residence, and I purchased my own private internet (as I have done for two years already)... and I need help!

I have a desktop computer and a laptop. My modem only has one outgoing connection cable, so I normally have my desktop connected and it worked fine. My laptop, however, would only get local access from the modem when I plugged it in.. and would not be able to access the internet.

I sent in a help email to the support staff at my service provider (Shaw) but no reply yet. The day after I did that, I was playing an MMO on my desktop when suddenly I lost connection. I tried resetting my computer, resetting the modem, unplugging/replugging... but nothing worked. On a whim I put it in to my laptop and WOW, it worked. So it worked like this:

First day: Desktop connected flawlessly, but laptop would only get local connection.
Second Day: Desktop doesn't connect (there isn't even a connection in the network connections gump), but laptop works smoothly.

Any help would be greatly appreciated ;3;

-Andrea

[TerryNet]

When you switch the device connected to the modem you have to power cycle (unplug for 30 seconds or so) the modem. If you did not do so, that is why the laptop did not previously have internet access.

On the desktop does your ethernet adapter appear in Device Manager as OK? Are there any errors or warnings in Device Manager?

Does the ethernet connection appear in Network Connections? Is it enabled?

Please connect the Desktop to the modem after a proper power cycle and show ...

Start, Run, CMD, OK to open a command prompt:
(For Vista type CMD in the Search box after Start)

Type the following command:

IPCONFIG /ALL

[Note that there is no space between the slash and ALL.]

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here.

If necessary use a text file and removable media to copy the results to a computer with internet access.

[Cera]

*just got off a long conversation with tech support*

Hi Terry, thanks VERY much for posting. I did cmd/ipconfig and the result came up something like.. "Media not connected", or along those lines. I finally managed to get a hold of someone who was really helpful at my ISP's tech center, and this is what we ended up doing:

-Plugged ethernet cable in to desktop, but another port than I regularly use
-IPCONFIG.. no media.
-Network Connections showed two (default + one more) instead of the regular three.
-Reinstalled drivers, restarted, and assigned two IP addresses.

I now can connect to both desktop and laptop, but I'm using an internet port that I don't regularly use (my dad made my computer and he told me to only use the bottom one.. something about the motherboard and the other two). The port I normally use seems to be dead, and I don't know why, considering it was fine this morning until I lost connection.

So.. problem is fixed, but now I have a whole new one xD

Is it possible for the ports to just.. die?

[TerryNet]

Is it possible for the ports to just.. die?

Ethernet adapters are like people--sometimes they just croak suddenly and sometimes they linger only partially functioning for months or years.

[xDatWun]

IT is possible, for parts just to die ^_^.

Well, why don't you try installing the ethernet drivers on your laptop and see if that works?

[TerryNet]

Since "laptop works smoothly" I think Cera already has the correct ethernet driver installed on the laptop.

[xDatWun]

Oh that was my fault.
I skipped his last post.
Well, the ethernet port is most likely dead, so you may have to replace it, unless the other one works ^_^