[McGoggles]

Okay so I have an Actiontec GT704-WG router and a few weeks ago my house got hit by lightning (when this all started). There are three computers connected to the router. One can be connected by a wire, but the other two cannot, and can only connect by wireless to work. What's the problem? I know it's not a problem with the wires, I've tested that.

[Advertisements]

I know it's not a problem with the wires, I've tested that.

how did you test that? did you try plugging one of the non working computers into the port that the working computer is plugged into on the router? have you tried plugging the working computer into the port that the non working computers connect to in the router?

[dsenette]

I know it's not a problem with the wires, I've tested that.

how did you test that? did you try plugging one of the non working computers into the port that the working computer is plugged into on the router? have you tried plugging the working computer into the port that the non working computers connect to in the router?

[McGoggles]

Yes, I've tested all the ports with each computer, and since it would only work for one computer, I took the LAN cable it uses and tried it with a non-working computer and that did not work with any port.

[dsenette]

there's a good chance that the NIC's (Network Interface Cards) in the non working machines have been damaged by the lightening....does the computer that works have an onboard NIC or is it a PCI NIC?

[McGoggles]

Both non-working and working have an onboard NIC

[dsenette]

well that's not helpful...hehe if you've got $20 or so to spare...you could go down to the computer shop and buy a PCI ethernet card to test with...i'd suspect that the NIC in these two machines is bad...but it's impossible to test without a spare

[McGoggles]

Well one of the non-working computers uses a power surge protector, I suppose it didn't do its job? Otherwise, as I recall, the two non-working computers were connected to the router when the lightning struck while the working one wasn't.

[dsenette]

well...a surge protector doesn't do anything for your network cable...unless it's got an ethernet surge protector as well (which many do...but few use)

also...the power line isn't the only way for electricity to find it's way into a computer....phone lines and ethernet cables are great conductors (it's what they're made to do)...so lightning could easily have traveled through the modem into the router and down the line

[McGoggles]

True, I'll try and find a network card around the house or buy a cheap one.

[McGoggles]

Okay I bought a Dynex DX-E102 card. I installed it, the LED light on it lights up when the wire is in, but not on the router. Packets are sent but not received. Also device manager shows two NIC cards, neither Dynex but both named Realtek (my onboard one) and both having #2 after it. One of them has a /810x after the name though.

[dsenette]

by install...do you mean physically and the driver? or just installed it physically?

[McGoggles]

Physically as well as the drivers that came with it on a disc.

[dsenette]

can you uninstall both NICs from device manager and reinstall the dynex?

[McGoggles]

Yes I tried that and the Dynex still came up as a Realtek #2

Should I reboot after uninstalling both NICs?

Edited by McGoggles, 17 August 2009 - 01:25 PM.

[dsenette]

that's crazy talk hehe

let's try to power cycle the router....disconnect all the computers from the router and remove the power from the router for 10 to 15 seconds (or longer....whatever) then plug it back in...once all the lights stabilize on the router...plug the computers back into the router