No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

:confused:

Hi All,

Please forgive my apparent ignorance but I am really stuck and`would very much appreciate any advice given.

I have just (eventually!!) had VirginMedia Broadband`supplied but can't connect to internet.

I connect the ethernet cable to the modem and fire it up.
After a couple of mins I then connect the ethernet cable to the tower (pc chips motherboard-sorry!) and switch pc on.

Unfortunately I cannot connect to the internet. I have looked in Network Connections and could only find reference to a "1394 C0nnection" which is connected and firewalled. Now to be honest I thought this was a firewire connection hence my confusion.
I couldn't find any help on the net via laptop (which connects via the same cable and modem!) so I reformatted my XP Pro installation.
Still no change.
Have I deleted somehow the link to the LAN, maybe?
Otherwise I suspect the ethernet socket/motherboard but have no idea how to confirm this.
Any help or advice will be much appreciated.

All the best,

Gary.

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

:welcome: to the forum.

You posted this in the Articles forum, which would actually stop anyone answering you. I have moved the thread to the correct forum.

The fact that Windows is not displaying a connection for your Ethernet port (it normally calls this connection "Local Area Connection" or a variant of that).

Have a look in Device Manager. You should see an option for Networking (or Network Cards). Look in this. Is anything shown with an Exclamation mark next to it?

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

Thanks Stuart,

In Device Manager there is only "1394 Net Adapter" under Network adapters.

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

As you've already said - thats a Firewire connection.

Right click the top of Device Manager and hit the rescan option to see if it picks up the missing adapter.

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

Cheers Lee.

Tried a re-scan but unfortunately no change.

I just assumed (incorrectly obviously) re-installing XP would return the 'missing' adapter.
Not wanting to seem even less knowledgeable (if that's possible!) but might the adapter info be on the motherboard set-up disk? I only ask 'cos I have it to hand.

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

What PC/Motherboard is it?

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

It's a self build incorporating a PC Chips (ECS) M848A m/board

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

You appear to have either not installed your NIC drivers or deleted them, do you have the disk that came with your motherboard or NIC, if so try re installing them.

If this does not work you may have to fit a new NIC which you can pick up from your PC hardware supplier.

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

Yeah, that's what I think has happened (deletion) and I have the disk I just don't know the blooming name/make/type of integrated lan on the motherboard.
I've tried setup for all the drivers available but nothing has appeared to say it is now installed. Probably doing that wrong as well!
I know it will be resolved eventually (already picked the new nic from supplier) just want to find out what I've done wrong so I can learn from it.

Cheers.

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

I do not use the on board NIC on my PC because I picked up a Realtek Gigabit card on Ebay for buttons, you notice an increase in speed initially

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

Unless they need a driver for another part (such as the motherboard's main chipset), then they would still show up if he'd done a scan.

If Device Manager is showing nothing, then it's possible that the onboard networking has been disabled in the BIOS.

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

A good place to look;)

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

Where you connect the ethernet cable to the tower, does it have what looks like a bulb or light?
If it does, does that light come on when you plug in the ethernet cable?

As Stuart C says onboard networking may be disabled in bios or it could be your network card is dead.
To replace shouldn't cost more than £5 to £7.

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

Hi All,

Just to advise, it's working!

It WAS disabled in the BIOS.

Enabled and now all working.

Thanks so much to all for the assistance. I have learnt much due to this though not to leave pc's alone - lol!

Again, thanks and all the best.

Gary.

Re: No local area connection visible in Network Connections
 

thanks for the feedback :tu: