Not sure which network card is used on your computer? No problem! In order to find out, you don't even need to install third-party programs. Everything can be done using the built-in Windows tools.
How to find out the model of a network card through the Device Manager
The easiest way to find out which network card is on your computer is to use a tool called "Device Manager". In order to open the "Device Manager" go to the Control Panel, and then go to the "System and Security - System" section. Here, in the left sidebar, there will be a link to Device Manager.
Alternatively, you can open Device Manager with the command "mmc devmgmt.msc". To do this, press the key combination Windows + R , in the window that appears, enter "mmc devmgmt.msc" and press the enter key.
Well, Windows 8 and Windows 10 users can open the "Device Manager" by right-clicking on the "Start" button.
After opening the "Device Manager", you need to open the "Network adapters" section. There you can see which network card is on your computer. In our case, this is the integrated network card Qualcomm Atheros AR8152 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller.
It should be noted that the "Network adapters" section can display virtual network cards created by various programs. But, they are easy to distinguish from real network cards, since they are named by analogy with the programs that create them. In our screenshot (at the top), such a virtual network card is the Virtual Box Host Only Ethernet Adapter.
Using the command line to get information about network cards
The second way to find out which network card is on the computer is through the command line. To use this method, open the start menu and enter the command "CMD" in the search. Thus, you must open a Windows command prompt. In the command line that opens, enter the command "IPCONFIG / ALL" (screenshot below).
After executing this command, the command line will display information about all network connections on your computer. For each of these connections, the Description section will indicate the name of the network card that is responsible for this connection.
How to find out which network card I have using the msinfo32 command
Another option for obtaining information about a network card is the "msinfo32" command, which opens a tool called "System Information". To use this tool, press the key combination Windows + R and in the window that appears, enter the command "msinfo32".
A fairly common and widespread occurrence is an error in the operation of a network card. Immediately or after some time, the Internet disappears and an unpleasant message from the system appears that the network cable is not working properly or is not properly connected. Users usually start checking the cable, connection, calling the service center of their provider in search of a solution to this problem. The occurrence of such an error is influenced by several factors and often, the network card has nothing to do with it, the reasons lie elsewhere ... ...
An error in the operation of a network card is quite common and widespread. Immediately or after some time, the Internet disappears and an unpleasant message from the system appears that the network cable is not working properly or is not properly connected. Users usually begin to check the cable, connection, call the service center of their provider in search of a solution to this problem. The occurrence of such an error is influenced by several factors and often, the network card has nothing to do with it, the reasons lie elsewhere.
Let's immediately define the range of reasons why such an error may occur. First, of course, it can fail in a banal way. This can be affected by the quality of the computer hardware itself, as well as the quality of the network card itself, it all depends on the manufacturer. In addition, external factors can affect its operation - not a neat attitude, incorrect installation, when a user of a personal computer forcibly tried to insert a card into a PCI slot, while damaging some contact or the outer surface of the network card itself, etc. The PCI slot is faulty, which is the case, then just try to insert the network card into another slot.
Secondly, the simplest and most common variant of a malfunction is the absence or inconsistency of network card drivers or their incorrect installation. In this case, the drivers are removed and replaced with new ones. Thirdly, the real damage to the network cable, thanks to which the signal is delivered to your computer. In this case, there may be several causes of damage from mechanical to manufacturing defects. There can be only one option for eliminating this malfunction - from another signal source, for example, take the computer to a neighbor and connect it to the Internet there. If the matter was only in the cable, then the computer will safely connect to the network. Then the reason is not in the network cable, and not in the RJ45 type connector (you need to pay attention to it first of all), but in the network card itself.
Now let's talk about one more reason that I encountered personally, from my own experience. I have an integrated network card (built-in) installed on my computer, it worked flawlessly and there were no complaints about it. I recently bought a removable network card and tried to install it on my computer. Before that, I used it on another computer that did not have an integrated network card. Everything worked fine there, but as soon as I inserted it into my computer, an inscription appeared on the icon of the network adapter "The network cable is not working or is not properly connected" and a bold cross, saying that there was no connection to the Internet. But the fact that the card in the system unit blinked with lights was striking, and everything indicated that it was working. With this, the network card, as a device, was successfully identified in the BIOS, the Windows 7 operating system automatically installed the drivers and issued a message that the equipment is ready for use and there are no problems with it. The device manager clearly stated that everything was in order, the equipment was turned on and working normally. First of all, the thought arose about damage to the network cable. By transferring the cable to the integrated network card, the Internet appeared immediately. I had to continue dancing with a tambourine around this network card. did not lead to the desired result, the system continued to issue a message about a cable malfunction, and that it was not able to eliminate this situation. The decision came by itself, and it turned out to be simple and not difficult.
Solution of the problem. The first thing I did was to disable the integrated network card in the "Device Manager", remove the previously installed drivers on the non-working network card. After that, I reinstalled the card into the PCI slot in the system unit and started the computer. The operating system has identified the hardware and installed it. At the next stage, I launched the "Device Manager" (Start - Control Panel - Device Manager) and right-clicked on the device (network adapters - for example, Realtek RTL8139 / 810x Family Fast Ethernet Nic). Going to the Properties - Advanced menu, highlighted the "Link Speed \u200b\u200b/ Duplex Mode" section and on the right in the "Value" window made changes, set "100Mbps / Full Duplex".
After that, the Internet connection was restored, and the Windows 7 operating system stopped displaying a message that the network cable is not working or is not properly connected. Thus, the error in the operation of the network card was fixed. Yes, I almost forgot, in the properties of the network card in the "Power Management" tab, you need to uncheck the box "Allow this device to be turned off to save energy."
Through a computer, which is especially bad if all activities are closely related to its disposal. Let's figure out how to fix the problem, if the card is not out of order, but there are problems in its functioning.
Usually problems of LAN equipment are solved through the settings
External damage
There are two types of maps by location: external and internal. In the case when the device is installed separately, check whether it is firmly inserted into the slot and whether the Internet wire is well placed in the slot. Probably, the problem lies in the damaged contacts inside the connector or the cable itself from the provider is damaged.
In a situation where the adapter is damaged, you need to replace the port or purchase a new part. If everything is fine from the outside, it means that the problems are related to the knocked-down settings.
Map settings
The computer does not see the network card? Go to the device manager, in the list select the Network adapters section. Now, in the context menu, click "Update hardware configuration" for the system to find the device and add it to the list.
After that, we will find out if the adapter is installed correctly - if a yellow exclamation mark is lit on the icon with the name, this means that the drivers are not functioning correctly or are not suitable for the device. Fix it by doing the following:
- Open the properties of the specified part, the "Driver" tab.
- Activate the Rollback function for the system to start recycling the previous version of the configurations.
If the situation has not changed, you need to update the drivers - for this use the button of the same name located in the properties menu. Using automatic search, the computer will find the files on its own, but if they are not there, download and install them manually.
The network card is not working even though it is properly connected? When there is still no signal from the provider, it is advisable to check the connection parameters.
Do the following:
- Open Control Panel, Network and Internet section, select Network and Sharing Center.
- If you see that there is a red cross on the connection diagram, click on it, after which the system will analyze the parameters to identify problems.
- Follow the directions in the diagnostics to help the computer resolve the network connectivity issue.
A non-working network card will not allow you to access the Internet or local network if you connect to them through a network adapter. Network cards are built-in or external. If the card is external, see if it is fully inserted into the slot. Also check the tightness of the network cable connection to the adapter connector. If these options didn't work, or if you have a built-in network adapter, it is most likely a matter of system settings.
If the Internet stopped working... Check the connection status in the taskbar. If there is a red cross on the Internet access icon, then there is no connection. Try turning it on. To do this, click on the internet icon and select "Network and Sharing Center". Click on the red cross in the network connection diagram. A diagnostic program will run to fix the problem and enable the network adapter if it is disabled. Malfunctioning drivers... If the drivers for the network card are incorrectly installed or they have been damaged, you should reinstall them or do rollback until the last working state. To do this, click "Start", right-click on "Computer" and select "Properties" from the list of commands. In the menu on the left, open "Device Manager". In the "Network adapters" section, your device may be marked with an exclamation mark, which means it is defective. Double click on the adapter, select the Driver tab and click Roll Back.
If the rollback didn't work, try update drivers. To do this, in the "Driver" tab above the "Rollback" button, click on "Update". Select "Automatic Search". If your computer has working drivers, Windows will find and install them. If there are none, you will have to download them yourself.
If your card is external and there is no disk with drivers, you will have to find them yourself. This will require network adapter name... You can find it out in Device Manager or by reading the sticker on the card itself. On a computer with network access, go to this site and enter the name of your network card in the search field. Follow the link provided. Select a driver for your version of Windows and click Download. Open the downloaded file and run setup.exe on a computer with a faulty network card. Select "Fix" from the program menu.
Another problem is your network card disabled and it is not visible in the device manager. Don't panic. If it worked properly before, then you can turn it on again. To do this, in the device manager, right-click on "Network adapters" and select "Update hardware configuration". Plug and Play should immediately find your device and try to connect it.
Make sure the problem is with the network card. If the diagnostics described in point 1 did not reveal any problems with the adapter, it may be due to the provider or a technical failure on the line. Regularly update your drivers and keep the disk away from your motherboard safe to help you quickly fix network card problems. External cards can be checked on other computers to determine the cause of the problem.
One of the most common options is a driver error. To check, open "Start" -\u003e "Control Panel" -\u003e "Device Manager". Find the Network Adapters section and expand it. If there is a yellow triangle (or question mark) icon next to the hardware you are using, the problem is most likely with the device driver. Right click on it and select "Update Drivers". Next, select "Search for drivers automatically".
This problem can be solved in another way. Launch an Internet browser and go to the official website of the manufacturer of the network card used. Find the page dedicated to your model and download the required drivers. After the final download, double click on the installation file and wait for the process to finish.
The second common cause is a disconnected connection. Select "Start" -\u003e "Control Panel" -\u003e "Network" ("Network and Sharing Center"). Find the network connection you are using. If it is disabled, open its properties and click the "Enable" button.
Another cause of malfunction may be the cable used. Remove it from the network card and check for damage. Pay attention to the contacts - there is a possibility that some of them are broken off or come off the connector of the network card. If this is possible, check the functionality of the cable on another device. If everything works, then this is not the reason.
Crimping the used cable is another reason for failure. If the computer's network card is connected to a router, hub, etc., then a direct crimping scheme should be used. If there is a connection between one computer and another, then the cable must be crimped "on the contrary", according to the crossover scheme.
A network card (network adapter, network card, NIC - Network Interface card) is usually called a specialized component of a computer that provides communication and data transfer between several computers on a network.
Instructions
Look in the system tray - is there a connection icon in the form of two computers? If not, then it is quite possible that the network card on your computer is simply disabled. To enable it, open: "Start" - "Control Panel" - "Network Connections". In the window that opens, find the "Local Area Connection" item. Its status will be indicated in the "Status" column. If the device is disabled, right-click it and select “Enable” from the context menu.
The situation becomes more complicated if the list of network connections is empty. In this case, you need to check serviceability network cards... Open the section "System" - "Hardware" - "Device Manager" in the Control Panel. Find the "Network Cards" section. Most likely, you will see a device marked with a yellow question mark or exclamation mark. This means that a driver is not installed for the device or it does not work correctly.
In order for the network card to work, you need to find a driver for it. But first you need to find out its exact name. If you know it, search for the driver through Google or any other search engine. If not, you need the Aida64 (Everest) program. Run it, on the right side, select the section "Computer" - "Summary information" - "Network" and look at the name of the network adapter.
Once you find the driver you need on the network, open "Start" - "Control Panel" - "System" - "Hardware" - "Device Manager" - "Network Cards" again and double-click the network card marked with a yellow icon. In the window that opens, select "Driver" - "Update". Specify the driver saved on your computer as the source.
It is possible that the computer does not see the network card. There may be three reasons: incorrect installation cards, incorrect BIOS settings and serviceability most cards... In the first case, by disconnecting the computer from the network, you should check the correctness of the cards into the slot. In the second, enter BIOS and check if the network card is enabled. The third option is the most difficult, check at home serviceability network cards you can only install it on another computer.
After a successful installation of the network card, it may happen that it suddenly stops working, there is no connection to the Internet, and there is no local network. Initially, you might think that the matter is in the modem or in the provider - temporary disconnections of the Internet are not uncommon today. To test the health of your network card, use the tips in this article.
You will need
- Checking the system settings of the network card.
Instructions
The easiest way to check the connection and the board is to pull it out of your system unit and insert it into another system unit, on which the local network was in order. However, do not forget that you will need the freshest devices for correct operation. When installing the card in another system unit, make sure that those that are not available in all models of network cards are in the correct position (select Plug & Play mode).
A more complex check is performed with a tester or in ohmmeter mode. For a device with an n-p-n structure, both junctions (collector and emitter) should open with a positive voltage at the base, and for a p-n-p structure transistor, with a negative one. In reverse polarity, the transitions should close. For a digital multimeter in ohmmeter mode, the minus is usually on the black probe, for a pointer tester, vice versa. Be sure to find out in the instructions from the measuring device the short-circuit current in ohmmeter mode. It should not exceed the maximum allowable for the transitions of the transistor.
Connect the collector of the n-p-n transistor to the positive of the power supply with a voltage of 3 to 4 through a circuit of a 1 kilo-ohm resistor and an LED (anode to positive). Connect the emitter directly to the minus of the same source. The LED should be off. Now connect the plus of the power supply through another 1K ohm resistor to the base of the transistor. The LED should light up. If you are testing a pnp transistor, reverse the polarity of the power supply and LED.
A network card, also called an Ethernet or Network adapter, or a network card, is one of those devices on which the interaction of a computer with other gadgets connected to it depends on the network, as well as a web connection. Accordingly, if such an important element of the PC fails, the ability to access the Network or interact with connected devices is unavailable, therefore it is important for any person to have an idea of \u200b\u200bhow to check the performance of a network card. The specific type of computer does not particularly affect the methods of such testing, except in certain nuances - for example, if we are talking about a laptop, then you will have to figure out how to check the built-in network card for performance, and for a stationary PC - connected.
There is more than one way to test the aforementioned element of the computer for how functional it is, but first of all, it is worth understanding in what situations it would be reasonable to check the laptop's network card, the performance of which raises certain doubts. Most often this happens if the web connection stops working for no apparent reason, and at the same time the device transmitting the Internet signal: a modem, router, etc., turns out to be quite working, and its indicators indicate that data transfer is in progress. Such cases are not uncommon, and it is the network card that should be suspected of their occurrence, although it does not hurt, before taking specific steps to test it, contact the Internet operator and find out if there are any problems with it.
When, in the course of communication with the operator's representatives, it turns out that the signal is actually being transmitted correctly, in fact, with complete confidence, it is necessary to proceed to the actions to check the network card. If it is not built-in, as in laptops, but is connected through a certain loop to the computer motherboard, first you should make sure that the contacts have not gone anywhere, and the loop connection is fully functional, and not just barely holds, and also that the connectors are not loose. In some cases, problems with the full functioning of the network card arise when the PC overheats, its battery is insufficiently charged, and other situations in which the system provides for a transition to an energy-saving mode with the disconnection of some devices.
By the way, any power saving mode that does not imply full performance is relevant only for laptops equipped with a battery and capable of autonomous operation, and there is no point in installing it on a stationary PC. In addition, it will not hurt to make sure that the drivers installed on the PC for this network card are the most current, i.e. not outdated and not in need of updating - and for this you have to go to the "Device Manager". Where exactly to look for it depends on the modification of the operating system - for example, in Windows 10, you just need to enter this phrase into the search box of the start menu; the card you are looking for is usually located in the Network Devices section.
Next, you need to act on the basis of whether the network card is reflected in the above list or not, in other words, whether it is visible to the system, and if the answer is yes, it is advisable to check the relevance of the drivers. To do this, right-click on the name of the card in the list of devices, view its properties, go to the drivers section there, or immediately find the offer. By the way, the symbol of a yellow exclamation mark surrounded by a yellow exclamation mark next to the data of this board in the list of network devices indicates just problems with the drivers, and more specifically, the need to update them as soon as possible - otherwise the device will not work correctly.
The indicator of the complete inoperability of the network card will be a slightly different icon - a red cross, which directly indicates the need to replace it, but sometimes it also happens that a card of dubious performance is not visible in the list at all. Perhaps then it makes sense to check the correctness of its connection to the motherboard - on a de-energized PC, of \u200b\u200bcourse - to reconnect everything and go to the device manager again. Another way to check a network card, and only not an integrated one, is to connect it with a patchcord (special cable) to a switch, ADSL router, etc., which must be an Internet signal transmitter and connected to power. If, in this situation, a notification about the connection of a new device is displayed in the system tray in the lower right corner of the display, the network card is fully functional.
I already wrote about what it is and how to check under what address the outside world sees you. However, this information is often not enough to understand what address is assigned to your network card, as well as to diagnose connection problems. Here is a list of commands that you can use. (also on my website you can read about visual setting)
First you need to open a command line. It is done like this: press the start button, select the "execute" item.
Alternative way - you need to press the Win key (between Ctrl and Alt) and R simultaneously, this method also works on Vista
A window appears in which you need to enter cmd and click OK
The same command line appears
In it you can type and "enter" commands by pressing Enter. The results can be copied - if you press the right button, you can select the desired piece, then you need to press the right mouse button again.
Ping command
The first team to get to know is pingchecking the availability of the given address. Enter the command ping 127.0.0.1... You should get something like this (if the command is not ping does not work, then, perhaps, the instructions for correcting the cmd no command error will help solve the problem):
C: \\ Documents and Settings \\ Admin\u003e ping 127.0.0.1
Exchange of packets from 127.0.0.1 to 32 bytes:
Reply from 127.0.0.1: number of bytes \u003d 32 time
Reply from 127.0.0.1: number of bytes \u003d 32 time
Reply from 127.0.0.1: number of bytes \u003d 32 time
Ping statistics for 127.0.0.1:
Minimum \u003d 0ms, Maximum \u003d 0ms, Average \u003d 0ms
C: \\ Documents and Settings \\ Administrator\u003e
As we can see, 4 packets were sent to the address 127.0.0.1, and they all reached the goal. What was this address and why was I sure that the packets would arrive? The answer is simple - the packets were not sent anywhere, but remained on your computer. This address is specific and is used for loopback packets that do not go anywhere outside. Great, we can now "ping" the address of this site: 212.193.236.38
C: \\ Documents and Settings \\ Admin\u003e ping 212.193.236.38
Exchange of packets from 212.193.236.38 to 32 bytes:
Reply from 212.193.236.38: bytes \u003d 32 time \u003d 3ms TTL \u003d 55
Reply from 212.193.236.38: bytes \u003d 32 time \u003d 3ms TTL \u003d 55
Reply from 212.193.236.38: bytes \u003d 32 time \u003d 3ms TTL \u003d 55
Ping statistics for 212.193.236.38:
Packets: sent \u003d 4, received \u003d 4, lost \u003d 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round-trip time in ms:
Minimum \u003d 3ms, Maximum \u003d 3ms, Average \u003d 3ms
C: \\ Documents and Settings \\ Administrator\u003e
You can notice only one difference - the packets did not arrive instantly, but in 3 milliseconds. I hope you also did not have any delay in the delivery of packages, and most importantly, you did not see a line like
Timed out request.
The appearance of such lines means that some of the packets are lost. This indicates a problem on the line or not on the server you are accessing.
Ipconfig command
The next important command is ipconfig... Enter it. I got it like this:
Ethernet - Ethernet adapter:
C: \\ Documents and Settings \\ Administrator\u003e
In this case, the address is 192.168.17.139. You can also ping this address (you ping yours) - the packets should arrive instantly. The default gateway is the address to which a computer sends packets without finding a suitable address on its network. So, in my case, all packets, except for packets on 192.168.17. * Will be sent to 192.168.17.240, and that computer should already decide what to do with them and where to forward them next. Note: the local network, that is, those addresses to which packets are not sent to the gateway, is determined using a mask - a zero in the last place and 255 on all previous ones just means that the last number in the IP address can be arbitrary.
One of the standard actions when looking for connection problems is to ping your gateway. If the packets do not reach it, then, apparently, the problem is somewhere nearby, for example, the power cord is damaged or badly plugged in. It is also worth knowing where the computer with your main gateway is physically located - at the provider, somewhere in the house, or maybe it can be in your apartment. Note: some computers are configured not to respond to ping requests. Therefore, the absence of ping is not a 100% guarantee that there will be no connection with the address.
More information can be obtained by the command ipconfig / all... I managed:
C: \\ Documents and Settings \\ Administrator\u003e ipconfig / all
Configuring IP for Windows
Computer name. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... : sander
Primary DNS suffix. ... ... ... ... ... : MSHOME
Node type. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... : mixed
IP routing is enabled. ... ... ... : no
WINS Proxy is enabled. ... ... ... ... ... ... : no
DNS suffix lookup order. : MSHOME
Ethernet - Ethernet adapter:
DNS suffix for this connection. ... : srcc.msu.ru
Description. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... : Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller
Physical adress. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... : 00-16-D4-63-03-65
Dhcp is enabled. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... : Yes
Auto tuning is enabled. ... ... ... ... : Yes
IP address. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... : 192.168.17.139
Subnet mask. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... : 255.255.255.0
Main gate. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... : 192.168.17.240
DHCP server. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... : 192.168.17.240
DNS servers. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... : 212.192.244.2
212.192.244.3
C: \\ Documents and Settings \\ Administrator\u003e
I have highlighted the most useful information in bold. gave me a dynamic address based on my MAC address or physical address. Mine are 212.192.244.2 and 212.192.244.3.
Other commands
Command tracert allows you to trace the path of packages from your computer to the target. Try, for example, trace the path to this site: tracert site... The lines in the trace output are points through which the packet passes along its path. The first point will be your gateway. Using the tracert command allows you to find the source of communication problems with an address. Packets sent by the tracert command have a TTL - time to live - positive integer. Each router along the path decreases this figure by 1, if the TTL drops to zero, then the trace ends. By default, the initial TTL is 30, you can set a different value using the option -h.
