Ethernet Cable (RJ45) Mishap ! HELP !

[subherbian]

Can plugging a RJ11 cable into a ethernet card ( and cable modem ) that needs a RJ45 cable short curcuit either the ethernet card or the cable modem ??? I ask that because I bought the wrong cable, plugged it into the ethernet card and cable modem and since then I havent been able to get a connection from the modem to the ethernet . Everytime I try to release and renew the IP address I get a "DHCP Server Unavailable: Reseting Adapter" Error ! None of the lights on the ethernet card or the ethernet connection on the modem have been on since . My modem says I have a connection to the internet . I have changed which PCI slot the ehternet was in and reinstalled all the drivers and it makes no difference . I have e-mailed tech support for a few ethernet card companies ... only one has answered the real question which is "Can plugging a RJ11 cable into a ethernet card ( and cable modem ) that needs a RJ45 cable short curcuit either the ethernet card or the cable modem ???" ....and the answer was NO the wrong cable wouldnt have short circuited anything ..... BUT that doesnt explain why the second I plugged the wrong cable in there ethernet card and the cable modem havent communicated since . I have tryed everything and nothing has helped . Im getting despret so any suggestion would do . I should add that after plugging the wrong cable in I have went back to the original cable and nothing works .....i say this because even tech people have asked me if Ive done this .. DUH !!! No I figured out I have the wrong cable but continued to use it anyway ??

[CMonster]

Plugging a live 45v DC phone line can certainly fry a NIC - I've done that (thus I learned never plug cables in by "feeling" behind the case). Plugging a phone line between the ehternet card and DSL modem could also very likely have shorted something out -I wouldn't necessarily trust the answer you got from tech support.

It isn't exactly clear from your post if the old cable ever actually worked in connecting to the Internet. If at one time the cable worked and now it does not then there is only one of two possibilities: 1. The cable is now bad (not that likely). 2. You fried something (more likely). If the cable never worked at all then perhaps you still need a new cable and something could still be fried on top of that.

[subherbian]

To answer your question . Yes the original cable worked ... I bought a new cable cause I needed a longer one . So when I plugged in the wrong cable and instantly noticed problems I went back to the original cable . Now since you seem to have a clue on what your saying i gotta ask this . How in the hell am i going to find out if its the ethernet card that is fried or the cable modem ?? I can tell you the cable modem still works with the USB connection and the ethernet card is recognized by the computer ..... the 2 just dont communicate .

[socalgal]

subherbian

Please don't multiple post; this makes troubleshooting difficult and frustrates the efforts of those helping you. Thanks.

Moved to Networking.