Networks

Ask something
Question Locked

No line connection through router

0 helpful
9 replies

by pentrex

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I got Dell Inspirion 5100 and Lyncsys WRT 160N Router. Wireless connection works fine. When I connect the LAN cable to the router's Ethernet ports and my lappy, there is no light and no connection to the line. Message - your high speed internet cable unplugged.

When I connect my Inspirion directly to the DSL modem everything is OK. I checked and swapped all cables million times but got same result - it works from the DSL modem and not from the Router. The other laptop and other two desktops work fine from the same DSL/Router setting.

I am lost here. I don't know what to blame here either the modem, my lappy or the router?

Anyone had similar problem and can explain what's going on?

9 replies

by ic-it

Have you tried one of the known working ports?
Perhaps a bad NIC module on the laptop?

by pentrex

Of course I tried , all my desktops and a second lappy work fine from all ports on the router.It just Inspirion which has no connection to Internet.

Yes it could be a bad NIC on the laptop, but then how come it works OK directly from the DSL modem?

May be it needs a crossover cable? But as we know crossover cables used for connecting two like devices such as a switch to a switch or a PC to a PC. Just a mystery.

by tobif

No, It should be straight cables.

Could be either that the router somehow has too low signal levels, or the router may be sticking to gigabit ethernet, while your laptop or the cable may not be up to it.

Can you force a slower connection on one of the ethernet ports of the router?

by pentrex

Do you mean straight cable such as an ordinary UTP RJ45?

How can I force a slower connection on the router's ports? My connection is not so high I think - 100Mbps. Or should it be even slower?

Besides I checked my laptop as a single unit connected to the router ports and it still doesn't work but works fine from the DSL modem and in wireless mode with all PCs connected.

by tobif

Looked up specs for WRT160N. The ethernet ports are 100/10 mbps, one should use Cat5 cable for them. (if your ordinary UTP is Cat5, then it should be ok).

By the way, in case the connection to the laptop suffers from signal attenuation and interference, try temporarily to use a short (and preferably shielded) cable.

Another workaround you could try would be an ethernet hub/repeater between the router and the laptop.

by pentrex

Looks like I got the Cat5 cable, though I cannot see it's labeled this way. To make sure, will get today a brand new Cat5 and check it again when my lappy is available on Sunday.

Is a hub/repeater somehow correct/amplify signal?

by tobif

Well, that's a theory, at least.
Hubs are cheap, but can be a bit hard to find.
And in this situation, it would be good to first borrow one and try, before committing an expense...

If you happen to have a spare router in your cupboard, you could set it up in bridge mode (but this will take a little more work, than a hub)

by pentrex

Tried my lappy connected to an other router - Actiontec and it worked. So, looks like the Linksys is the culprit. But why? Still no clue.

This discussion is closed to new replies.