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At my wits' end - wired LAN with port replicator

#1

Gared

Gared

This is going to drive me completely batshit insane if I can't find a fix for it. I have two IT departments, neither of them can help me because one of them doesn't do hardware fixes for contractors and the other doesn't own half of the hardware. I have a laptop and a port replicator, both made by Dell, and the models are compatible. The laptop will recognize the wired LAN connection just fine, until I connect it to the port replicator, at which point it refuses to acknowledge being plugged into the ethernet cable and I'm stuck with wireless. This wouldn't be a problem except that I need to upload insane amounts of data to a network location and with the wireless connection I might be done sometime next year.

Specs:
Dell Latitude E6400
Windows 7, SP 1 - all recommended Windows Updates installed
Intel 82567lm Gigabit Network Adapter - most recent driver installed
Dell pr02x port replicator

Now, like I said, I can disconnect the laptop from the pr02x and plug an ethernet cable into the ethernet port on the back of the laptop and it works flawlessly; but as soon as I connect the laptop to the pr02x (using either the ethernet cable plugged in to the pr02x, the ethernet cable plugged in to the back of the laptop, or both); the network adapter refuses to acknowledge the fact that it's plugged in. The specific error that it gives me is that there is no network cable plugged in to the adapter and it refuses to t/shoot beyond that.

So far I have: upgraded to the most recent driver for the adapter; updated the BIOS on the laptop to the most recent version; disabled and re-enabled the adapter; restarted the laptop; cold-rebooted the laptop; turned the laptop off while it's disconnected from the replicator, then connected it to the replicator and turned it on; and none of these work. When docked to the pr02x, everything else works - the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse, the laptop even recognizes that it's plugged into a power source and charges the battery; but the ethernet card just plain refuses to acknowledge the existence of an ethernet cable. In fact, just to prove to the computer that it's being an asshole, I've disconnected it from the port replicator, plugged all of the above mentioned peripherals into it directly, and it's working fine - with the LAN card connecting me to the ~100Mbps down/up network.

Anyone have any ideas what the problem is with this stupid computer?


#2



Chibibar

I think the Ethernet on the port replicator is having issue. I think you would need to get that replace (best way to test it)


#3

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

check your add/remove programs. If there is a Quickset program un-install.
Added at: 20:49
I can't remember what the new dell port replicator software is called, but un-install that.

Their software is craptastic. It functions better with out it.
Added at: 20:50
go to Device Manager un-install and reinstall the NIC while you are still on the Port Replicator.


#4

strawman

strawman

You can waste a lot of time trying to resolve the problem, but I think you'll just be better off accepting that either the dock, or the docking connector are damaged, and you should just buy a $20 USB or expresscard ethernet adaptor.


#5

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

follow my examples, I am responsible for 180 dell laptops and port-replicators, not one has failed in 3 years. Now the Dell software that controls them screw up all the time.


#6

Gared

Gared

sixpackshaker said:
check your add/remove programs. If there is a Quickset program un-install.
Added at: 20:49
I can't remember what the new dell port replicator software is called, but un-install that.

Their software is craptastic. It functions better with out it.
Added at: 20:50
go to Device Manager un-install and reinstall the NIC while you are still on the Port Replicator.
Click to expand...
That did it. Didn't even have to uninstall and reinstall the NIC, just removing their retarded software fixed the problem. Thanks!


#7



Chibibar

sixpackshaker said:
follow my examples, I am responsible for 180 dell laptops and port-replicators, not one has failed in 3 years. Now the Dell software that controls them screw up all the time.
Click to expand...
my users are "mean users" I actually have over 20 docks (out of 120 laptops in 4 years got mangles. I mean pins are missing or torn.


#8

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Chibibar said:
my users are "mean users" I actually have over 20 docks (out of 120 laptops in 4 years got mangles. I mean pins are missing or torn.
Click to expand...
wow, most of my users are big, burly dudes, not one was officially broken. I've taken a few away because they were trying their damnedest.


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