"A network cable is unplugged."

jaguarp80jaguarp80
edited August 2008 in Hardware
I get this message flashed all the time, when I'm sure that no cable is unplugged. It started very rarely at first, then grew more frequent. Now it's totally unpredictable, but seems to occur more frequently when I'm doing something high stress, like an online game. I've tried three different ethernet cables, and they all do this. It seems like it happens less frequently with one of them, but that may just be my imagination.

If it happens too often in a short period of time (sometimes it will flicker for several minutes straight), my Internet becomes totally unusable. I know that it isn't my cable modem, and apparently it isn't the cables I'm using. I'm using the onboard NIC on my motherboard and don't have a card to test at the moment, so I'd like to rule anything else out before having to purchase one.

Can anyone help me out? I'm relatively ignorant, but I can try and find any relevant information.

Comments

  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited August 2008
    It's one of three things:

    1) Bad cable (you're sure about this? this is the most common)
    2) Bad port on one end (cable modem? You say you're sure, but are you SURE?)
    3) Bad port on the other end (Could be a bad port on mobo - get a PCI card to test)
  • jaguarp80jaguarp80
    edited August 2008
    primesuspect wrote:
    It's one of three things:

    1) Bad cable (you're sure about this? this is the most common)
    2) Bad port on one end (cable modem? You say you're sure, but are you SURE?)
    3) Bad port on the other end (Could be a bad port on mobo - get a PCI card to test)

    My brother and I share the modem (literally switch it between our computers when the other isn't using it), and he says that he hasn't seen what I describe at all. So, it certainly isn't that.

    I've tried a total of three cables, one of them brand new, and one of them had been used by the previously mentioned brother without problems. So, certainly not that either.

    I guess I only have one choice. :/
  • RyderRyder Kalamazoo, Mi Icrontian
    edited August 2008
    Is there only 1 network port on the back of the PC?
  • jaguarp80jaguarp80
    edited August 2008
    RyderOCZ wrote:
    Is there only 1 network port on the back of the PC?

    There's only the one I'm using.

    It used to work fine, then it gradually became unstable and began to flicker more.
  • RyderRyder Kalamazoo, Mi Icrontian
    edited August 2008
    Get a PCI Network card.. sounds like the NIC on the motherboard is dying or has a bad pin internally.
  • jaguarp80jaguarp80
    edited August 2008
    RyderOCZ wrote:
    Get a PCI Network card.. sounds like the NIC on the motherboard is dying or has a bad pin internally.

    Any chance I could get a recommendation on a cheap one?

    These are my expansion slots,

    PCI-E X16 (used by my video card)
    PCI-E X4
    and 2 PCI
  • RyderRyder Kalamazoo, Mi Icrontian
    edited August 2008
    3com 3c905TX.. one of the the most widely recongized NIC's on the market and XP has built in drivers.. should be plug and play.

    http://www.google.com/products?q=3com+3c905TX&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en

    http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&dfsp=32&from=R40&satitle=3c905&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=49009&sabfmts=1&saobfmts=insif&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=32&fsoo=2
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