Tech Help: Missing 'Local Area Connection' (or: nevermind :P )

[Venkman]

Just to be on the safe side after noticing some wonkiness recently, I wiped the drive and reinstalled WinXP. Everything was going fine until I try to get out to the Internet again for Windows Update.

Apparently the install process only included my 1394 Connection in the Network Connections, not the 'Local Area Connection' that is usually there.

It's a relatively new machine I bought in April (after much help here!) but I've never wiped and reinstalled on it. I'm not sure if the WinXP disk that came with it is gimped in some way but it seems odd to not include this. The Ethernet card I have is an Intel Pro 10/100/1000, but I have no other disks nor any documentation that says this card would require a special install of anything (I do have a Gigabyte AirCruiser G wifi card in it... I splurged even though the first time I've ever used it is right now to post this question about getting my LAN back.)

Help?

[Samwise]

The "Local Area Connection" is the link between your network card and whatever it plugs into (router, broadband modem, etc).  Do you remember if you had to do anything special to set up whatever that thing is the first time around, like, say, define a static IP?  (The place you'd be doing this is in the "Network Connections" bit of the Windows Control Panel, in the "Properties" of your "TCP/IP Connection" or somesuch.)

[Venkman]

The first time around I plugged it into my network and it just went. My router is configured to give each computer a dynamic IP address (I'm sure there's a tech name for that, something like DHCP maybe?) when it registers a new one trying to hit it. It's both an Ethernet and Wireless adapter and until tonight I had it set up with MAC filtering. I turned that off while I'm troubleshooting this.

I just downloaded and installed the drivers for this card from the Intel site (it's a "Intel Pro 10/100/1000 Network Card") but I'm still not getting the "Local Area Connection" option. Every time I try and create one it says I should already have one. That much at least I know :)

[Trippy]

Do you see the Ethernet link light on the back of the motherboard and the link light on the hub/switch?

If you look at your list of hardward devices do you see the adapter(s) without any special symbols on them (?, X, etc.)?

[Venkman]

I'm a 'tard. Standby. I found my Asus disks that came with the computer. I thought originally it was just motherboard firmware stuff but deciding to take a chance I ran the driver install utility. It's going through quite a number of things here including installing "nForce Networking Controller" stuff. And now it just restarted.

Yep, that was it. Full wipe followed by new WinXP install followed by Asus update.

Thanks for listening Samwise! And sorry to waste your time :)

Edit: and thanks Trippy!

[taolurker]

I was actually posting to give you some ideas, and my first thought was that the NIC wasn't actually installed right, because normally it will create a connection (Local Area Connection) for you.

So I take it that everyting is ok now?

[Selby]

I found my Asus disks that came with the computer. I thought originally it was just motherboard firmware stuff but deciding to take a chance I ran the driver install utility. It's going through quite a number of things here including installing "nForce Networking Controller" stuff.

Asus has done that for years.  Good thing you noticed!  We had a tech who was supposed to install software on the newly formatted computers and he spent quite some time figuring that out.  I had to show him to look at the disks...

[Venkman]

Yea, everything's up and working now. Almost re-downloading WoW: BC too. Soooo glad Blizzard offers that. This time I'll keep the 2.05gb file too!

Selby, it took me long enough. I added all sorts of Windows networking things, even downloaded drivers from the Intel site. Luckily I hadn't started the process of installing them when I noticed the disk and got curious :)

[Samwise]

Woo!  Glad to hear it's up and running.

I had a spot of similar bother last week, with my router suddenly dying on me.  As in, no blinky lights or anything.  I've been hating that router for a while now anyway, so I went and bought a new one, and when I got home, it had resurrected itself.

I think it's laughing at me.