"Network Cable Unplugged" even though it is!

[Vuitton]

I am experiencing a strange problem with my home computer. (I am typing this from work.) We have cable through comcast and we have the modem connected to a hub, and all of our computers are connected to hub.

I was playing FFXI all day yesterday, and I went to sleep with three albums downloading on soulseek, and some porn seeding on uTorrent. When I woke up, my computer said my network cable was unplugged and I no longer had access to the internet.

I double checked the network cable connections to my computer and the hub. I turned off my computer, the hub, and the modem. Then I turned on the modem, then the hub, and then my computer.

It still says my network cable is not plugged in! I don't even get the yellow icon on the task tray that says "limited connection" that would allow me to repair the IP. Its just an annoying red icon in the task tray that says my network cable is not plugged in.

Does anyone know how I can fix this? Or what might have happened during the period of time when I was asleep. I went to bed with everything downloading and uploading perfectly fine, and at fast speeds.

I don't understand what is happening. D:

Edit: the internet is working on the other computers. So its not comcast, its something local.

[Day]

My very first step would be to try another cable that you know is working, just to rule out the cable, as that's probably the easiest thing to test.

[Vuitton]

My very first step would be to try another cable that you know is working, just to rule out the cable, as that's probably the easiest thing to test.

I'll give that a shot when I get home tomorrow. =x

Can network cables go bad overnight?

[Ashira]

I'll give that a shot when I get home tomorrow. =x

Can network cables go bad overnight?

There's always the straw that breaks the camel's back... so it'd have to be at some MOMENT it goes bad. Why not overnight? Unless there's an explicitly written rule somewhere stating that network cables can only go to shit at 3 pm local time or something.

[Xanthe]

Question: by hub do you mean router? Because there's a big difference between the two, notably that a hub won't work with that setup and a router will. Need to be careful when tossing out terms.

If it's not the cable, there's also the possibility of a port gone bad on your router, so try moving the cable to a different port as well. If not that it could also be your network card on the computer. I've seen a lot of NICs pass on, either from age or electrical interference (thunderstorms, etc).

[Vuitton]

Question: by hub do you mean router? Because there's a big difference between the two, notably that a hub won't work with that setup and a router will. Need to be careful when tossing out terms.

If it's not the cable, there's also the possibility of a port gone bad on your router, so try moving the cable to a different port as well. If not that it could also be your network card on the computer. I've seen a lot of NICs pass on, either from age or electrical interference (thunderstorms, etc).

Well, now I am not sure. I do know that each of the computers has their own IP address and if they didnt, only one of them would be able to connect.

What is the difference between a network hub and a router? Also, the NIC is integrated into my motherboard. An Intel D975XBX2.

http://www.intel.com/products/deskto...2-overview.htm

So I hope its not that!

Edit:

I looked up the ethernet hub and that is what we have. (Thanks dad for the shitty hardware.) I am looking at "residential gateway" routers on newegg.

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...=Wired-Routers

I am out of my element when it comes to networks, so I have no idea what I should buy to replace the damn hub.

[Omniyoji]

Well, now I am not sure. I do know that each of the computers has their own IP address and if they didnt, only one of them would be able to connect.

Good then it sounds like it's not a hub and it's a router.

What is the difference between a network hub and a router?

A hub is a multi-port repeater. All they do is expand your signal for distance issues. A hub doesn't even work with MAC addresses. A router, to put it in simple terms is the device that handles IP assignment.

I am out of my element when it comes to networks, so I have no idea what I should buy to replace the damn hub.

A router with the however many ports you need (PCs that need internet access). Personally I have a WRT54G with no problems but don't wanna start a lolWRT54G flame going on...

[Day]

I'm pretty sure he said all this was working before he went to bed and the other PC's are obviously still connected and functioning, so I'm finding it difficult to believe that there's anything wrong with his router/hub or whatever he has...

I think it's more likely the cable or his nic. And it's ok that your nic is integrated you should probably have room for another one that's not.

[Vuitton]

I thought with hubs all the computers need a unique IP, but with a router you don't because its managing the 1 IP for all the computers connected to it?

Edit:

Also, it is an ethernet hub.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_hub

The photo they use is, amazingly, what we're using at the moment.

This is a wonderfully educational experience for me. I just wish it wasn't a real life scenario D:

Edit:

Upon realizing that we're paying for additional IP addresses we don't need because of that ethernet hub. I crossed two streets to Seattle's downtown Office Depot and bought a router.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833127091

That one.

[Xanthe]

A router, to put it in simple terms is the device that handles IP assignment.

That's not exactly correct. A router by definition is a device that is tasked with routing and forwarding information. It just happens that most routers we can purchase in retail have other devices built into the same shell such as DHCP (the device responsible for IP address allocation) and network switches (splititng the connection to allow for multiple computers). The router allows you to create a network which has it's contents hidden from the larger network outside. All Comcast can see is your router; none of your PCs are visible. The router handles the routing of information to and from your PCs to the outside network. It's been a while since I studied all this, but network design makes for a pretty interesting read.

I'm pretty sure he said all this was working before he went to bed and the other PC's are obviously still connected and functioning, so I'm finding it difficult to believe that there's anything wrong with his router/hub or whatever he has...

Just because it was working last night doesn't mean something couldn't have burned out overnight. Ports can go bad.

[Norellicus]

The NIC should have two lights on it, one green, one some other color (varies by mfr, could be green/yellow/red/orange); the green one (on the left, since it's an onboard NIC) should be lit simply by virtue of the PC being on. The other-color one (on the right) should only light up and/or blink while the cable is plugged in and you have a physically confirmed link. If the physical link works, but it still says disconnected then the NIC is probably not bad and there's an issue with a driver or something.

[Xanthe]

I thought with hubs all the computers need a unique IP, but with a router you don't because its managing the 1 IP for all the computers connected to it?

All computers need a unique IP address assigned period in order to be able to communicate over a network. The router facilitates having a network within a network and handles the messy communication details that come up as a result. If it weren't for these private networks we would have run out of IP addresses for devices a long time ago instead of heading to that end in the near future (IPv6 is being worked on to correct the issue).

[Norellicus]

Since we have a discussion started in a sense:

Think of a router as a cop standing on every street intersection. This cop knows the intersections immediately surrounding him, and continually reports to all of the cops at his connecting intersections about which intersection he controls, and who the cops are at the surrounding connections (obviously if I tell you that I'm connected to you, you know that, but you may not know I'm connected to three other people). This communication is continuous and makes a ripple effect, every cop knows where every other cop is, how fast each of the roads between the intersections are, and when any of the roads are closed for construction. They take all this information and figure out the quickest ways to get to wherever on the fly.

As you drive along, you have a sign up in the front of your car that says where you're from and where you're trying to go. The cop reads the sign and checks his database to find out which direction from his intersection you need to go to get to that destination, and then he lets the next cop know that you're coming so he can be prepared to send you along from there. Repeat as necessary until eventually, you make it to your destination.

It's a loose allegory, but it works. Routers do exactly that, route information, and nothing else (if they have other devices compounded within the circuitry, that's another story). The more complex the router, the more it's capable of; your average home router will only accept traffic that it can tell has already made an outgoing connection, and is simply making the return trip (e.g. browsing the internet), or that has been explicitly passed by a specific port (port forwarding, I'm sure we've all done this for Ventrilo or such at some point). Others can be as specific as you want; block everything except google.com, allow everything except bluegartr.com (though in a router's database these would be represented by their IP spaces or routing tables, rather than by name), etc.

It all comes down to basic logic gates, just applied 100-fold on top of eachother to make a very complex core function of networking.

[Vuitton]

So, I shouldn't cancel my additional IP addresses I am charged through Comcast after I remove the ethernet hub and install the router?

[Vuitton]

I just picked up an NIC card and a new network cable. I don't know if they're needed yet, but I don't live near an Office Depot and don't want to find out I need them once I get home.

NIC card is same brand as the new router.

[Killgannon]

So, I shouldn't cancel my additional IP addresses I am charged through Comcast after I remove the ethernet hub and install the router?

you should, NATing is a wonderful invention that makes all your pcs behind the router go out one public ip address, and said router can tell hey porn came from jim bob, nascar nudes came from big ted, and so on, and send those sites (technically packets) back to whatever pc they came from>.>

whoever you ordered service from at comcast screwed you, you should go there and punch them in the face with a blunt object

even the idiots at the worlds shittiest isp (antichrists, terrorists, and tyrants (aka at&t)) will sell idiot customers routers before they will additional ips>.>

[Sanriku]

Actually, Comcast is notorious for selling services that the customer doesn't need rather than assist them in what would be a better option. A router with no configuration would work just fine for general purpose. But Comcast also tries to block routers or even charge you for having one. On the plus side, they are stupid, so you can outsmart them easily about it...

Yes I'm hostile towards them because I work for a cable company other than them, and still have to use their shitty service because this one is not in the area.

On topic: "Network cable unplugged" is the only error message in windows that is relevant to the issue and is in english. Previous posts are accurate. Test: Cable > Nic > Port, in that order. Try another working cable, then check the nic status (installed and enabled), then the port on the hub/router/modem as applicable.

For those of you that may be in the MI region with WOW! Internet, lol I'm sorry, and you know what I mean ^.~

[Spekkio]

if you're getting an "unplugged" message that almost 100% assures a hardware problem. if it were a networking issue such as IP conflict or something like that, you'd get a very different error message (limited or no connectivity iirc) b/c the PC would see a hot port but wouldn't have the right configuration to deal with it. the error message you got is used only when the PC fails to detect 4 hot leads on the 2 pairs used by 10/100 ethernet.

[Vuitton]

The cause turned out to be a bad RJ45 Coupler.

[Sanriku]

The cause turned out to be a bad RJ45 Coupler.

Atleast you found it and it was a cheap fix. Hence: Cable > Nic > Port. Cheapest to most expensive fix lol.