LAN disconnect on startup and shutdown

[JAWS]

I have asked this question before, but in a different way, and have received no answers. I'm not sure if it's a dumb question or no one knows the answer. So I will try asking a different way.

My problem is each time I start or shut down my computer the Lan connection on my router is interupted and the light goes out. The light goes back on and re-establishes the network connection. The problem is, sometimes this goes back on right away, sometimes it can take quite a long time.

I am hoping that thru a change in the Registry or BIOS, that the LAN could be left hot, like a USB port.

I will be a happy camper if someone would tell me where to try and find an answer or give me the answer or tell me how stupid I am to even think that such a thing is possible. Thanks, JAWS

HOST COMPUTER
Abit Is7, 865PE+ICH5R, FSB 800Mhz, BIOS 16,
Pent 4, 2.4c Ghz, HT, No OC
2x256MB Generic
2x256MB Kingston Hyper, Twins
Dual Mode, DDR 400, PC3200, No OC
Maxtor 120GB, 7200rpm, 8MB, 150 ATA, Serilell 2
Western Digital, 40GB, 7200rpm, 100 UATA
Nvidia GF, FX 5200, 128MB, 8x, TV, DVD out
On brd Realtec 6ch Snd, 3com Gigabit LAN, SB Sata, Raid 0, Infrd
SPDIF/Digital Boston Spkrs
Phillips CDRW, 52x CDROM, 1.44 Floppy
Windows XP Pro w/SP1
Mid Tower ATX

HOME NETWORK
Comcast Cable. connected to a US Robotics Turbo Router 8054, connected to a computer (above) via a 3com Gigabit NIC, The router connects wireless to one Client via a US Robotics PCI Adapter 5416, in a Gateway computer w/1Ghz, Pent 3 CPU, 512MB Ram, 40GB HD, w/Windows ME OS

[BipolarBill]

Your network adapter needs to have a "wake on lan" (WOL) feature to stay "hot" Most integrated adapters do not. You would have to buy another card with WOL. They have a tiny power cable that connects to a motherboard header which get's power as long as the power supply is turned on.

Check your BIOS options before you buy!

[tantone]

To start with, have you checked to ensure that you're using the latest NIC drivers? Sounds like a built-in NIC, so you'd need to check Abit's website.

You say that the LAN connection on the router is disabled and goes blank. Well, if you restart your computer, it's supposed to. During the restart, all of the functions stop (except the power), so this would mean that the router no longer sees the PC's connection as alive.

Does this affect the routers ability to route, or is this just cosmetic on the router itself?

As for the length of time it takes for the connection to come back, I think you may find the answer in the drivers as stated above.

[omendata]

The lan adaptor will always reset even if its onboard as its part of the motherboard control electronics so if you reset the board you reset all the cards in it - vt8237 southbridge chip!

innit

The delay will be dhcp related

Its just a pc thing!
:t

[tantone]

Hey Jaws--

Define "quite a long time" when you refer to the time it takes for the card to go hot.

DCHP does take time, but not a heck of a lot, especially if your PC is wired to the router as opposed to being connected wirelessly.

[JAWS]

BipolarBill, the MOBO has a "wake on lan", currently disabled, and the 3com has a "wake on lan", but it looks like that one has to be added to the registry, it is not currently in the registry. Since I'm not that experienced, and the 3com readme didn't go into any detail on where exactly this would go etc. I didn't go further than to see if it was in the Reg. or not. Plus their suggestion was to have it off and didn't really explain why. If thats what you meant. The Router nor the PCI adapter have a "wake on" that I can tell.

tantone, the Router light for the LAN and WAN go out, not the power or the status light. And when those lights are out, I am dead in the water on my Host, no internet or file sharing. The Client can still connect to internet during this time, but no file shares. The re-connection can take anywhere from a few seconds to an hour and a half. If I toggle the Local Area Connection from enable to disable one to five times it seems to make the connect faster, but I'm not sure that is what really did it or it just went back on. I did update the 3com Gigabit NIC drivers from the 3com web site. Nothing changed.

omendata, I guess what you are saying is I'm doomed to just Grin and Bare it. I guess you're right, but I still wish there was a way, I'm one of those guys that just hate leaving my machine on all the time.

Thanks all, I really appreciate you taking your time to help!

[omendata]

Have you tried changing the nic or putting it in another socket!

Sounds like a faulty network device to me!

[tantone]

hey omendude...
he's got an integrated NIC :t
I'm afraid that, by trying to move that, you may void your motherboard warranty.

Although, JAWS, omendude is right in that you should try a different NIC. Add a PCI NIC and see if you continue to get the same problems.

[omendata]

Cheers tanman

Post overload!
:t

[Midknyte]

Did you try another port on the back of the router? Did you reset the router?

[JAWS]

tantone and omendata, I didn't even think of trying a PCI adapter. Never occured to me that the 3com might be bad, It's new as of June and it seems to do everything else ok. I'll have to see if I can scare one up and try. May take some doing, I'm not what you call a social type anymore. I'll let you know.

Midknyte, I have reset the router many times and it does no good as far as my current problem goes, but I have straightened out a few other bugs that way. I'm not sure why, but I have never tried another port, but I will, and let you know if it did anything.

Thanks all!!

[JAWS]

I ran a 3com diagnostics test on my NIC and NETWORK and when I did the Network, the Lan went out. I then switched Lan Ports and it went right back on. I then ran the NIC check and it checked out OK. I did a Network check and it checked out OK. I have rebooted twice and the Lan light went out when it shut off and when it started back up. The difference is (so far) the Lan kicked right back in. Maybe its fixed, time will tell. If it doesn't, I'll try the PCI adapter. Thanks everyone, I hope I can put that problem behind me. JAWS:t