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Question

Laptop Will Not Recognize Ethernet Cable

by Apr 24, 2012 5:01AM PDT

I've got an Inspiron 8200 laptop (yes I know its old) that i'm trying to hook up with an ethernet cable (It runs on wireless right now).
I disabled the wireless, and put in the ethernet cable, and no go.
Tried restarting. No go.
With the wireless disabled and the ethernet cable plugged in, I ran an ipconfig in the command prompt and it said that the device wasn't connected something or other.

So I went to network connections, and it has the wireless connection (disabled), and the 1394 connection, which is supposedly the one that I'm trying to connect to. Even with the cable unplugged, it said that the 1394 was connected, though there were no packets sending or receiving. When the wireless was disabled, the link light would go out with the cable unplugged and would come on with the cable plugged in. I'm at a loss as to what to do...any help will be appreciated!

Thanks.

Discussion is locked

5 Posts
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Answer
Re: old laptop
by Forum moderator Apr 24, 2012 5:14AM PDT

- Any remarkable things in Device Manager (such as yellow exclamation marks)?
- Reinstalled the original driver already?

That light is very much hardware. Doesn't really say much about the software.
And even with the light burning it might be broken.

Kees

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Answer
1394 is not Ethernet.
by Forum moderator Apr 24, 2012 5:16AM PDT

I can't guess correctly why there is no Ethernet on this laptop. Did you check the device manager and is there any story to this OS? Some install the OS but don't know about drivers.
Bob

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Devices
by jdo3 Apr 24, 2012 8:13AM PDT

Sorry. Its XP Pro.

Did check on device manager - had the 1394 and wireless. If 1394 isn't ethernet, than what is it?

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Let's stay on Ethernet for now.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 24, 2012 8:17AM PDT

We know that XP Pro does not have the drivers for this laptop. I'd head to Dell, put in the service tag to get the drivers for not only the motherboard but the Ethernet that's in this laptop.
Bob

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Just reinstalled XP on a Inspiron 8200 laptop
by Ed Mead Forum moderator Apr 24, 2012 10:48AM PDT

and got the same thing as you. You need the drivers from Dell for your system.

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