After cabling, the NIC is next on the list of common
sources of networking headaches. Here’s a list of items to check if you
suspect that Windows 7 and your NIC aren’t getting along:
Make sure that Windows 7 installed the correct NIC—
Windows 7 usually does a pretty good job of detecting the network card.
However, a slight error (such as choosing the wrong transceiver type)
can wreak havoc. Double-check that the NIC listed in Device Manager is
the same as the one installed in your computer. If it’s not, click
Remove to delete it, run the Add Hardware Wizard, and choose your NIC
manually. Perform a physical check of the NIC— Open the case and make sure that the card is properly seated in its slot. Caution
Before touching any
component inside a computer case, ground yourself to prevent
electrostatic discharge. To ground yourself, touch any metal surface,
such as the metal of the computer case.
Disable the motherboard NIC—
If you added a new NIC to replace the motherboard NIC that came with
your computer, it could be that the original NIC is interfering with the
new one. To work around this problem, shut down Windows 7, restart your
computer, and access your computer’s BIOS configuration program. There
should be an option that enables you to disable the motherboard NIC. Try a new NIC—
Try swapping out the NIC for one that you know works properly. (If the
existing NIC is on the computer’s motherboard, insert the working NIC is
an open bus slot.) If that fixes the problem, you’ll have to remove the
faulty interface card (if possible) and insert a new one. Get the latest driver—
Check with the manufacturer of the NIC to see whether it has newer
Windows 7 drivers for the card. If so, download and install them, as
described in the next section.
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