Hello Friends,

This is my first question.

My old PC has D-Link DFE-520TX PCI Fast Ethernet card, which is/was excellent until this first problem. 2 nights ago there was some good lightning/thunders activity, resulting in burning of ISP network switches. This morning they replaced the switches and brought up the network, but here's the problem:

1) Under the default card setting with Auto-negotiation, PC looks for DCHP Server address resolution and ends up with YELLOW triangle in the system tray.

2) Whereas, when I CHANGE the card setting to 10Base in FullDuplex, then PC gets connected to the ISP network.

My ISP support said that either the card could be damaged due to lightning strike or it could be due to damaged cable running from port box to my PC (RJ-45). I'm wondering, could a lightning strike damage a Network card in such a partial manner (just one feature, i.e., Auto-negotiation)?

But that person warned, there will be deterioration in ISP speeds when I use 10Base in Full Duplex (for now) compared to Auto-negotiation speeds. Speeds really came down badly.

Main question is, what's this Auto-negotiation card mystery? I'm not sure if the problem in the card or in the Internet cable.

Please suggest/help.

Thanks a lot,

akula2

How does your computer connect to the ISP? Is there a cable modem in between the PC and the ISP?

_________________
"Right actions in the future are the best apologies for bad actions in the past."

dieselboy,

No modem/router.
Fiber broadband cable comes from the box, plug into the PC Ethernet by RJ-45 jack:

Hi Akula,
What "box" do you refer to?

Regards,

_________________
"Right actions in the future are the best apologies for bad actions in the past."

Hi dieselboy,

It's CPE box.

Thanks.

Well, with this limited information I suspect that it is more than likely the CPE which is the issue.

Plug your PC into a switch, and see what it negotiates to.

Thanks

_________________
"Right actions in the future are the best apologies for bad actions in the past."

I tried two experiments:

1) Plugged the same cable into a Laptop, connecting with default setting, Auto-Negotiation, was successful and done the bandwidth testing too (13 Mbps DL and 11 Mbps UL).

Note that in PC the Speed test fails!



2) Next, rebooted into that PC in Fedora Core 14. Detects the card, here's dmesg:

[ 19.572814] via-rhine.c:v1.10-LK1.4.3 2007-03-06 Written by Donald Becker
[ 19.572932] via-rhine 0000:01:05.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
[ 19.848539] eth0: VIA Rhine III at 0xefdfff00, 00:15:e9:48:b1:a4, IRQ 17.
[ 19.849260] eth0: MII PHY found at address 1, status 0x7869 advertising 05e1 Link 45e1.
...........
...........
...........
[ 36.193877] eth0: link up, 100Mbps, full-duplex, lpa 0x45E1

But, Internet doesn't work!!

So evidently, Network card's Auto-Negotiation gone kaput? I fail to understand how come a single feature makes card useless, though I'm typing here by using the same card in 10Base FullDuplex mode.

Anyone provide some insight? I think changing PCI slots test is useless?

Thanks.

I'd say that is more likely to be a network cable, but why not go through the simple process of elimination? Rule out the "box" and NIC and cable and any bits in between?

_________________
"Right actions in the future are the best apologies for bad actions in the past."

They changed Network cable in the morning so it's ruled out.

Question is, what's happening?

Changed the card into different PCI slots, removing other PCI card etc. Nothing helps