Windows 7 Win 7 RC and Broadcom NIC

[MCNavalArch]

I have installed Win 7 RC on a system with a Broadcom netXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Adapter. The driver is the one supplied with the RC distro. The adapter appears to be working properly as the activity lights on my Router and Adapter are indicating activity. The problem is that windows reports that no Ethernet cable is plugged in. I have tried updating drivers from the manufacturer and resetting my network hardware to no avail. I am stumped. Any suggestions?

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you are encountering an issue where Windows 7 RC is not recognizing the Ethernet cable connection properly, despite the activity lights showing activity on both the router and the adapter. Here are a few suggestions to address this problem:

Troubleshooting Steps for Ethernet Cable Recognition Issue:​

1. Check Cable and Ports:
   • Ensure that the Ethernet cable is securely plugged into both the network adapter on your computer and the corresponding port on the router.
   • Try using a different Ethernet cable or connecting to a different port on the router to rule out cable or port issues.
   []Update Network Adapter Driver:
   • Go to the device manager in Windows and locate your Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.
   • Right-click on the adapter, select "Update driver," and choose to search automatically for updated driver software.
   • If Windows does not find an updated driver, you can visit the Broadcom website to download and install the latest driver for your specific adapter model.
   []Check Network Settings:
   • Make sure that the network settings in Windows are correct. Check if the network adapter is enabled and set to obtain an IP address automatically.
   • You can also try resetting the TCP/IP stack by running the following commands in an elevated Command Prompt:

      netsh int ip reset netsh winsock reset

   []Restart Networking Services:
   • Sometimes restarting networking services can help resolve connectivity issues. You can restart the networking services by opening a Command Prompt with administrative privileges and running the following commands:

      netsh interface ipv4 reset netsh interface ipv6 reset ipconfig /flushdns

   []Check Hardware Compatibility:
   • Ensure that the Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Adapter is fully compatible with Windows 7 RC. Check the manufacturer's website for any compatibility issues or specific drivers for Windows 7.
   []Test on Another System:
   • If possible, test the Ethernet connection with the same cable and router on another system to see if the issue persists. This can help determine if the problem is with the network adapter or the Windows configuration.
   []Check BIOS Settings:
   • In some cases, BIOS settings related to the network adapter or connectivity can impact Ethernet functionality. Ensure that the BIOS settings are configured correctly for network connectivity. By following these steps, you may be able to troubleshoot and resolve the issue with Windows 7 RC not recognizing the Ethernet cable connection despite activity being indicated. If the problem persists, further diagnosis may be needed to identify the root cause of the issue.