Ethernet Port says “network cable is unplugged” on clean XP Install

(I hope this is the correct place to post this)

I clean-installed Windows XP SP1 from an OEM disk onto a new hard disk yesterday, and immediately upgraded directly to SP3.

I have a cable internet connection through a Netgear router. Modem connects to the router input, the computers connect to the router outputs. Other computers are connected to the router and they’re working fine so I know the problem isn’t with the router or connection.

Once installation and SP3 update finished, I installed drivers for my sound card and then installed Zonealarm firewall (although I hadn’t connected the ethernet cable yet).

There are two ethernet ports available – one on the motherboard, the other a PCI card. I can’t remember why there are two, I assume the people who serviced my computer added the card because the one on the motherboard wasn’t good enough or something. I’ve always used the expansion ethernet port (didn’t even realize there was a second one on the mobo until now).

The ethernet port on the motherboard is VIA PCI 10/100mb Fast Ethernet Adapter.

The addon is D-Link DGE-530T Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.

Both of them show up as Local Area Connections under “LAN or High Speed Internet” in “Network Connections”.

Since the old HDD with the old installation of XP uses the D-Link adapter, I’d like to use it in the new installation as well.

However, when I connect the ethernet cable to the D-Link port, it lights up, but Windows says “A network cable is unplugged”. I updated the D-Link driver to the latest version but it didn’t fix it. (Also, the driver on the old, functioning HDD is the same (old) one that was installed originally on the new HDD before I updated it and it works fine on the old HD.)

When Windows prompted me for the disk to install the original D-Link drivers, it said it “failed Windows logo testing”. Does that matter? I know it works with Windows XP – I’ve been using it for years (under SP1 and SP2).

There are diagnostic tests in the Properties of the D-Link; it can successfully the cable it’s connected to, but Windows still says a cable is unplugged. (The cable tst also says there’s a short in two of the “cable pairs” – what does that mean? I know the cable works though.) I can also run the tool that tests the linkup and it makes the light on the port flash, so I know the computer can access the port.

The same thing happens when I plug the cable from the modem (that normally goes into the router) directly into the D-Link port–it still says a cable is unplugged, but the diagnostic tool is still able to test the cable. (However, in this case it says there’s an “impedance mismatch” in one of the cable pairs along with the two shorts. Again, I know the cable is functioning – I’m using it to post this message.)

I haven’t installed drivers for my motherboard off of the disk it came with. I’d rather not because I’m not sure what they do; I’m pretty sure they’re not installed on the old HDD either (under Device Manager “System board” says “No drivers are installed for this device”). However, the front panel USB hub that attaches to the mobo is functioning correctly, and all the other parts of it seem to be working as well.

One other thing – I have currently switched back to the original HDD and I’m using it to write this message. It functions exactly as it did before I swapped to the new drive, it can access the internet perfectly as it did before, so I know the cable and card are functioning correctly. It has to be something in Windows that’s causing it.

Does anyone have any advice on why the D-Link would be reporting a cable is unplugged when no cables are unplugged? Are there any specific devices in Device Manager I should be looking at? I don’t see any yellow exclamation points. Should I try uninstalling SP3 and go back to SP1 and see if it makes a difference??

As for the Ethernet port on the motherboard, it does something different. When I plug the cable into it, it takes a long time but eventually says it’s successful at acquiring a Network Address. At that point, in Network Connections it says it’s connected (at 100mb/s), but I can’t get on the internet. Do I have to do something else to make to work? Set up an Internet Connection? Would I need to restart for it to even work? (I didn’t)

My primary concern it getting the D-Link working, but if I can get the mobo one working at least I might be able to use the internet on the new HDD and not have to switch back and forth (I’m afraid of damaging the IDE cable). I just hope there wasn’t a more serious reason why they added a new ethernet card.

Please let me know if there’s any other information I need to post. I may be able to take screen shots as well.