# Red light on NIC



## Stayfair11 (Nov 2, 2003)

Lately my downloads and page loads have been very very slow relative to what they used to be (just my feel for it, I have run no download tests) weeks or months ago. Tonight I checked the back of the PC to see if the Ethernet cable was loose, which it wasn't, but I did notice a red light and a yellow light on on the back of the NIC.

I don't check the back of the PC often but I could swear it used to be green...the red light stuck out to me like a sore thumb.

Does this mean the card is failing? or something else?

I googled it and couldn't find much out. This forum has saved me in the past and I'm hoping for the same with this.

Thanks much in advance.

Tom

Running WinXP on a Dell Dimension 8300, 3.2Ghz, 1 gig ram.....


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

For starters, might try an different network cable and port that the computer is using.


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## Stayfair11 (Nov 2, 2003)

Update...

I checked the device manager and it shows a yellow explanation point next to the device labeled Microsoft Tun Miniport Adapter.

I've never even heard of this..

This is a C&P of the error message I get when I open the properties dialog box..

*Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. (Code 19)

Click Troubleshoot to start the troubleshooter for this device.*

If I right click and uninstall, will it reinstall upon rebooting? Or am I opening a can of worms?

Thanks again.


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## Stayfair11 (Nov 2, 2003)

It also appears I don't have a regular NIC in the box. I never really looked before but the cable appears to plug into the back of the PC and seems connected to a small box inside the PC...confusing?

On my old PC I added a NIC so the cable plugged directly into the NIC I added....there is no separate card on this Dell (3 or 4 year old machine), just a port for the cable and a very small box on the inside that it appears to plug into..

Any other thoughts? Maybe if I buy a separate NIC and use it instead of what it's using now??

This is a Dell Dimension 8300, 3.2GHz P4 machine...


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

That computer is supposed to have an integrated network card on the motherboard.


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## Stayfair11 (Nov 2, 2003)

Bob Cerelli said:


> That computer is supposed to have an integrated network card on the motherboard.


I'm sure that's what the little box is. I've had the PC for years and never had any trouble with it at all. I saw the red light and investigated further, surprised me to not see a card in a slot so I figured it was integrated. But I'm wondering if the red light means the card, integrated or not, is failing somehow.

I've never heard of a Microsoft Tun Miniport Adapter nor have I ever seen an entry in the device manager for it...until now. It has the yellow exclamation point by it so there is some sort of problem with it. Unfortunately resolving the problem seems to be a problem...after googling it there seems to be no simple solution.

This is why I was wondering if I'd be better off just buying a new NIC and popping it in a slot and being done with the integrated one. My download speeds seem very slow and a red light is on...I'm just assuming they are related.

I have no idea of the failure rate of that type of hardware...maybe it's not the hardware that is failing. I'm clueless about it right now and just kind of grabbing at straws.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

If you want to get another network card they are not that expensive or difficult to install.


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## Nightfirecat (Sep 13, 2007)

Yeah... If you're worried, just spend like $10 on a new card and get on with your life. It's that simple.


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

You might try the driver cd for the pc first to try to reinstall the nic card driver, and you could also uninstall and reboot to let Windows reinstall as you suggested but if all that fails, yes add a new pci ethernet card.


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## dannyn (Nov 9, 2007)

find the driver on the internet....go to device manager.. then clcik upate the drivers.


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## Stayfair11 (Nov 2, 2003)

Thanks for all the input. I need to hit BB tomorrow so I think I'll pick up a new card then and give it a shot.


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## Stayfair11 (Nov 2, 2003)

Kind of related note here....I haven't gone out yet to buy a new NIC but is there an advantage to buying a 10/100/1000 as opposed to a 10/100 NIC?

I do have a wired home network but don't currently move much data on it, may someday but don't currently. The NIC would be primarily for internet surfing. I also use a Linksys BEFSR41 4 port router/switch.

Any advantage to internet use with a Gigabit card instead of a Ethernet card? My provider is Comcast and I think I have the 6mb down service.

Thanks.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Likely a 10/100 card is all you are going to need. Most are that way anyway.


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

Stayfair11 said:


> Kind of related note here....I haven't gone out yet to buy a new NIC but is there an advantage to buying a 10/100/1000 as opposed to a 10/100 NIC?
> 
> I do have a wired home network but don't currently move much data on it, may someday but don't currently. The NIC would be primarily for internet surfing. I also use a Linksys BEFSR41 4 port router/switch.
> 
> ...


For the internet at the moment gigbit Nic card is meaningless though who knows some day the technology might catch up. For it to be meaningful on network, you need other pc's to have gigabit cards and also either a gigabit switch for router or a gigabit router as well to route to the other pc's to take advantage of the speed difference and it also requires different ethernet cables I believe a cat5e cables as well.


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## Stayfair11 (Nov 2, 2003)

Rich-M said:


> For the internet at the moment gigbit Nic card is meaningless though who knows some day the technology might catch up. For it to be meaningful on network, you need other pc's to have gigabit cards and also either a gigabit switch for router or a gigabit router as well to route to the other pc's to take advantage of the speed difference and it also requires different ethernet cables I believe a cat5e cables as well.


Thanks. I have the Cat5e cabling in place but no gigabit cards in the other PC's nor do I have a gigabit router or switch. Looks like 10/100 is the ticket.

Thanks for the explanation.


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

Stayfair11 said:


> Thanks. I have the Cat5e cabling in place but no gigabit cards in the other PC's nor do I have a gigabit router or switch. Looks like 10/100 is the ticket.
> 
> Thanks for the explanation.


Yep that is fine for the moment!


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Stayfair11 said:


> Looks like 10/100 is the ticket.


Yep.


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## Stayfair11 (Nov 2, 2003)

Thanks to you too, Bob!


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## dannyn (Nov 9, 2007)

yes the 10/100 will be sufficient. if you want to be 100% future proof you can go for the gigabit card... but for now all you would use is the 10/100 card.


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