networking - Ethernet connection not detected
2014-07
Jayant Bhawal
my Ethernet connection somehow stopped being detected by Windows and Ubuntu on my laptop(Dell Inspiron M5010) all of a sudden after just another reboot. The local area connection is not showing up in network connections. Due to this I'm not able to connect to my broadband internet connection. I've tried updating drivers, checking device managers and stuff, but it's just not there! As if my network card is absent! I have no idea how to fix it, if it can be fixed at home somehow, it'll be absolutely great. It's not a problem if I need to open up the laptop for whatever reason. Please ask if there is some additional info I need to provide. Thanks in advance.
Rajasekar
I have a Netgear broadband modem. I use a desktop and a laptop.
I have connected the modem to the desktop by using their ethernet connectors. But I need internet on my laptop too.
There is another connector on the modem, which uses a USB cable. Can I connect the laptop and modem with a USB cable, and then simultaneously use the internet on both the desktop and laptop?
Arjan
Whether or not you can use both ethernet and USB simultaneously totally depends on the exact type of modem you have. Like for an old SpeedTouch 530 I once used:
Depending on the SpeedTouch variant you have, various solutions are available to connect your computer(s) to the device:
Ethernet connectivity [..]
USB connectivity [..]
In case of a SpeedTouch with USB connectivity you can use both local networking solutions simultaneously to form a single local network.
Also, even if there's only a single ethernet connector, your modem might in fact also have a built-in router, which then gives you a home network that knows how to handle internet traffic for multiple computers. If so, then simply hooking up a switch (or even a old hub, if you can still find one) will do.
On some devices, the USB connector is not even meant for internet access, but only for maintenance, or to hook up a printer or external hard disk.
Note that you cannot damage your modem or computer by simply trying / experimenting. But then I suggest to first try both methods separately, just to make troubleshooting a bit easier. (I assume you will need to install some specific USB drivers to get the USB working.)
(For an exact answer we need to know the exact type of Netgear equipment you're using.)
Indrek
Yes you can use both, provided that your ISP provides your modem with more than 2 IP addresses. But if you have one, try MAC spoofing.
Stephen Jennings
Unfortunately for you, Nick is right.
You can however connect your desktop and laptop. If both desktop has two network cards, you can connect laptop to the other port and make desktop act as router. Another option would be to use bluetooth to set up network or firewire cable. You didn't tell us what OS you are using and that may be relevant. It's easier to set up Internet connection sharing on windows than GNU/Linux in my experience. Also, it would be easier to network computers via bluetooth on GNU/Linux. Windows Vista and later don't support networking over firewire, so that could be problematic.
There are also other ways to connect your laptop computer and desktop, like for example using IrDA compliant infra-red transmitters or using serial or parallel ports, but I believe that they are more trouble than they are worth. And they would probably be too slow for modern Internet connections too.
You could also try researching use of USB A to USB A cables. They, with appropriate software, can be used to connect two computers together, but I don't know if they can be used to share Internet connection.
In the end, the cheapest options are to buy a router or to buy a second network card for desktop and use it to share Internet connection. I think that if you have to buy a second network card for desktop, purchasing router instead would be better option because in order for laptop to use desktop's Internet connection, desktop would have to be on all the time.
jim G.
it took me five hours only to find out you cannot use both ethernet,and the 2.0 at the same time. its one or the other without a router.
Nick
Unfortunately you must pick USB or ethernet, you can't choose both. What you want however is a router http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=145&name=Wireless-Routers
The modem provides your computer with a public IP address, if you were to hook two PCs into the router you would need to get 2 public addresses which would cost more monthly from your ISP most likely even if your modem would support it which I doubt it would. The cheapest solution is to buy a router.
Addy
Yes, you can use USB and Ethernet simultaneously on some modems without issues. I have a scientific atlanta 2100 and I have utilized both the connection methods to connect two laptops to it. It basically depends on whether your ISP allows two IP's for a single connection.