Troubleshooting Network Connection Issues on a New XP Computer

[DaveC426913]

Just got a new computer. Has nothing on it but XP. Plugged a network cable into it and into my router. The network port is directly into the back of my computer, not into an add-on slot or anything. System does not detect any hardware. It does nothing.

Shouldn't it detect the network?

If not, is it possible the network cable is pooched? Or maybe I need to install software to get the network adapter going?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Shouldn't need any software for a wired connection. Try plugging straight into the cable modem and see what you get. With XP you may need to restart with it plugged in.

 

[Pengwuino]

Is the onboard network adapter installed properly? Check your device manager. It will still come up as a network adapter

 

[JaredJames]

Right click on My Computer and open the Device Manager. Anything in there with a question mark or exclamation mark has a problem.

Given it's a new system, it sounds like the drivers for the network adapter aren't installed. Check the make of the motherboard and Google for drivers. If there's a network one, install it and see if it helps.

If the computer is newer than XP, chances are it doesn't have the drivers for the hardware.

 

[rcgldr]

First go to device manager and check for "network" adapters to make sure XP recognizes your ethernet controller. If it shows an adapter, then the router or modem will have to assign an ip address to your network adapter. If the ethernet cable is bad then an ip address can't be assigned. You can also open a dos console window and enter the command

ipconfig

or

ipconfig /all | more

to display all settings, including the "mac" address of your ethernet adapter. If you see what looks like valid data here, try these commands to get an old ip address released and a new one assigned:

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

 

[DaveC426913]

Yeah, I checked Device Manager. No Network adapter.

Also, somehow, it has managed to take down my entire network. My other wired computer now no longer has internet access...

 

[DaveC426913]

So, how does one install drivers for an onboard network adapter? It's not like I can check the packaging to determine the make & model...

 

[JaredJames]

See my post above.

The computer should have a sticker with the motherboard details on it.

 

[DaveC426913]

Attached is a pic of the computer's innards.

I have become particularly concerned with that video port. The entire reason we bought this computer was for the power of the video card. There's no card. Is it possible it's an onboard chip?

Dang. I can't remember the name of the GPU now. Might have been Radeon or GeForce.

Device Manager shows only VGA compatible video driver.

Anyway, the motherboard is an AMD Sempron LE-1300.

 

[TylerH]

There is something in an expansion slot. It's the only thing with a tan colored cable connected to it. I can't tell what it is, because I can't see the ports on it(obviously). Unless you have the proper drivers installed, a video card will stay in legacy-emulation mode and act pretty much like the normal VGA/VBE video output.

 

[rcgldr]

The motherboard is an AMD Sempron LE-1300.

That's the CPU model number. The motherboard is a Asus M2N68-LA as seen in the right hand photo above, however, it's not listed at the Asus web site. Apparently it's special built for Compaq/HP. There are multiple versions based on this search at hp:

http://search.hp.com/query.html?cc=us&lang=en&charset=utf-8&qt=m2n68-la&la=en

The only "green" ones: are narra6 or narra6L:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01925534&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01925548&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

The ethernet adapter is supposed to be a Realtek RTL8201N 10/100Mbps. However Realtek doesn't offer a driver, since it's an OEM part, instead referring you back to the motherboard maker for the driver. why can't I find driver for RTL8201x?

http://www.realtek.com.tw/faqs/faqsView.aspx?Langid=1&PFid=1&Level=3

Going back to the HP site, they don't offer a XP driver for the Realtek RTL8102N, and I've found a few complaints about this situation while looking this up. (This is why I don't buy OEM products like Dell, Compaq, HP, ..., you never really know what you're getting, and finding drivers is a pain).

Since you just bought the computer, didn't it come with a cd-rom with drivers on it? Can you take it back to the store and ask them to locate the driver for you? (or just take it back and get a refund).

 

[DaveC426913]

There is something in an expansion slot. It's the only thing with a tan colored cable connected to it. I can't tell what it is, because I can't see the ports on it(obviously).

That's the network card, as seen on the other pic.

Unless you have the proper drivers installed, a video card will stay in legacy-emulation mode and act pretty much like the normal VGA/VBE video output.

So, it's possible this computer does have a GPU like they said?

 

[JaredJames]

That's the network card, as seen on the other pic.

That could be why it doesn't show up - if it's an addon. See if it ha a model number on it.

So, it's possible this computer does have a GPU like they said?

Do you have a picture on the screen?

 

[DaveC426913]

Do you have a picture on the screen?

:grumpy:

I meant: is it possible it still has a high-end GPU (as opposed to just a VGA output) despite the fact that there's no slotted video card?

i.e. do they put high-end GPUs directly on motherboards?

Edit: Apparently, as per rcgldr's links, above, they do. Picking one of the M2N68 boards at random, the specs shows it has an nVidia GEForce 6150SE.

 

[JaredJames]

I meant: is it possible it still has a high-end GPU (as opposed to just a VGA output) despite the fact that there's no slotted video card?

i.e. do they put high-end GPUs directly on motherboards?

No. Well, not as far as I've ever seen.

If you bought this with the specific request of a high-end graphics card, then I'm afraid to say they've lied to you.

Another reason to believe it isn't high end (a good warning flag) - good graphics cards these days almost always require their own cooling.

 

[DaveC426913]

No. Well, not as far as I've ever seen.

If you bought this with the specific request of a high-end graphics card, then I'm afraid to say they've lied to you.

But this motherboard here lists the GPU, and yet you can see that the video is integrated:
http://search.hp.com/query.html?cc=us&lang=en&charset=utf-8&qt=m2n68-la&la=en

 

[JaredJames]

But this motherboard here lists the GPU, and yet you can see that the video is integrated:
http://search.hp.com/query.html?cc=us&lang=en&charset=utf-8&qt=m2n68-la&la=en

I can guarantee you (just from looking at the pics you posted) that it isn't a very powerful graphics system. Integrated ones are rarely powerful. A graphics card capable of high end use is going to have it's own fan. Yours doesn't even appear to have its own heatsink.

Also, there's about 10 different motherboards in your link, which is yours?

 

[rcgldr]

That's the network card, as seen on the other pic.

That's a fax modem, HP Concorde 56k PCIe Data Fax Modem 503095-001. You've been plugging in an ethernet cable into a telephone line socket, which I thought was a possibility. The network adapter for that motherboards is a Realtek RTL8201N 10/100Mbps, and it's on-board. Look for another ethernet socket on the back panel of that motherboard.

The main issue is finding a XP driver for the Realtek RTL8201N, as this is a OEM part where there's an agreement that Realtek will not suppy a device driver for that part.

If there's another PCI slot, you could by a standard ethernet adapter card that would include drivers. If you don't need a fax modem, then remove that card.

 

[JaredJames]

That's a fax modem, HP Concorde 56k PCIe Data Fax Modem 503095-001. You've been plugging in an ethernet cable into a telephone line socket, which I thought was a possibility.

I'd be impressed if you can get a Cat-5E Ethernet male plug into a modem phone socket. The dimensions aren't even remotely similar.

 

[rcgldr]

I'd be impressed if you can get a Cat-5E Ethernet male plug into a modem phone socket.

Some of those modem phone line sockets are wide enough to accept an ethernet plug, the height is the same. I've seen it done before.

 

[DaveC426913]

No, you're right. That is a fax modem. I was not plugging the network cable in there. My information got mixed up between looking at it and writing it down.

 

[DaveC426913]

For the record, it was not my intention to pick up a "hot-rod" system. All I wanted was a system with a graphics card that could be used for playing WoW. No more than that.

 

[JaredJames]

For the record, it was not my intention to pick up a "hot-rod" system. All I wanted was a system with a graphics card that could be used for playing WoW. No more than that.

It may be able to play it, but I can guarantee you that it doesn't have a dedicated graphics card onboard and as such I don't think you'll get anything more than basic graphics out of it.

 

[rcgldr]

For the record, it was not my intention to pick up a "hot-rod" system. All I wanted was a system with a graphics card that could be used for playing WoW.

If you can return that system for a refund, are there any stores near you where you can order a system by component, and perhaps have it assembled for you? Mayber there's an "online" store within driving distance so you can pick up the system rather than having to pay for shipping costs? If you buy a complete system or build a system using standard (non-OEM) components, then you should have no trouble finding drivers.

 

[TylerH]

You could buy a pretty cheap(~$50) graphics card and should be able to play on low to medium settings. Probably not ever high, even with a Radeon 6000. The single core 2.3Ghz CPU becomes your bottleneck.

It really sucks you were ripped off. If your dealings were done in the US, you can get your money back. I don't know about elsewhere.

 

[DaveC426913]

You could buy a pretty cheap(~$50) graphics card and should be able to play on low to medium settings. Probably not ever high, even with a Radeon 6000. The single core 2.3Ghz CPU becomes your bottleneck.

The thing I really want to find out is: did I get what they told me they gave me?
How do I find out what graphics chip it has?

 

[rcgldr]

The thing I really want to find out is: did I get what they told me they gave me?

One issue is that "OEM" parts involve a marketing scheme where the parts are sold cheaper, but where standard drivers do not work and require special drivers from Compaq/HP, or the drivers may be non-existant for some OS's, apparently like Windows XP. Same deal with support, vendors do not offer support for OEM parts, you have to go to Compaq/HP for that.

How do I find out what graphics chip it has?

I only saw 2 green motherboards with that part number (Narra6 or Narra6L), and both use this video chip:

nVidia GeForce 6150SE

This is not a Radeon video chip, since those are ATI, not nVidia.

 

[TylerH]

The thing I really want to find out is: did I get what they told me they gave me?

GeForce 6xxx: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compar..._Processing_Units#GeForce_6_.286xxx.29_series
GeForce 8xxx(Recommended on WoW's website): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compar..._Processing_Units#GeForce_8_.288xxx.29_series

The video card you have meets the minimum requirements plus some, but is considerably below the recommended setup. From my experience, most of the time, "minimum requirements" usually just guarantees about 10f/s. But there's no reason you can't try it. If, once you've installed and played it with the integrated card, you think it's too slow, then you could get a GPU. I wouldn't get one until I knew the integrated one isn't enough.

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for this computer?

 

[DaveC426913]

if you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for this computer?

$199.

 

[TylerH]

Is there any way you could take it back?

Not that it's awfully overpriced, but it's not the optimal computer you could buy with $200. I would argue under the premise of false advertising.

EDIT: Actually, it's not the optimal, assuming you're in the US. If you did manage to get your money back, and wanted to buy a computer from a US company and have it shipped out of the US(if you can even do that), it would be very expensive. I don't know how non-US companies price their PCs, so there is a possibility they may also have good deals.

 

[DaveC426913]

Is there any way you could take it back?

The window for that closed.

Not that it's awfully overpriced, but it's not the optimal computer you could buy with $200. I would argue under the premise of false advertising.

Not really. I got just what I expected. :-)

EDIT: Actually, it's not the optimal, assuming you're in the US. If you did manage to get your money back, and wanted to buy a computer from a US company and have it shipped out of the US(if you can even do that), it would be very expensive. I don't know how non-US companies price their PCs, so there is a possibility they may also have good deals.

I'm in Canada.


I'm still trying to find the video and network drivers. Every time I go looking I end up on a website that wants to install a driver "wizard" of some sort.

 

[MATLABdude]

It doesn't look like anybody has asked this yet, but what is the make of your HP? For instance, HP Pavilion n700. There should be a sticker on the back, or on the box / documentation that has this somewhere. From there, you can look up the specs and figure out what exactly is in your PC.

 

[DaveC426913]

It doesn't look like anybody has asked this yet, but what is the make of your HP? For instance, HP Pavilion n700. There should be a sticker on the back, or on the box / documentation that has this somewhere. From there, you can look up the specs and figure out what exactly is in your PC.

It's de-branded. It won't have any HP markings.

This is the system: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01925534&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

 

[DaveC426913]

This is REalTek's response:

RTL8201N is a PHYceiver which is a driverless hardware device. Software / Driver are relative to Network controller ( MAC ) which is integrated into chipset in such case mostly. Please contact your mother board maker or chipset manufacturer to obtain proper driver support.




Will someone puhLEEZE tell me how I can get drivers for this network adapter!

HP won't support it because it's debranded. They don't support any but their own systems.

Their website will not let you do anything without picking an HP model, and even at that, they don't allow email support except with warranty.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Looking around the web it seems to be a vista device. no xp drivers. but maybe this will work
http://www.biostar.com.tw/upload/Driver/LAN/Realtek/PCI_E/2KXP/setup.exe