Wayne Wood
New Member
I have a Dell XPS 420 (32 Bit) with Windows Vista SP2.
I get DSL internet via Frontier high speed internet service.
Recently my house was struck by lightning and the ethernet input in the computer got fried. The computer still works fine offline but no connection can be established between the computer and the Frontier modem for internet service. Frontier techs verified that their modem is good and that the problem is the computer’s ethernet input circuit.
I took my problem to Best Buy and was told by their techs that Dell XPS hardwires their ethernet inputs to the motherboard…..and that it will cost a couple hundred dollars to have them remove the old input circuit and solder in a replacement. Instead, they recommended a small USB device that plugs into the computer and talks to the Frontier modem and uses it’s wifi function to convert the computer to a wireless connection. I tried it, and sure enough….it works!! (although at a slower speed than the original ethernet connection).
At a shopping mall computer kiosk, I just learned that there are fairly cheap ethernet replacement cards that are available…which will provide a ‘work around’ solution to the fried card (without having to remove the defective card). These cards (supposedly) restore the original DSL speed. The tech told me to be sure and look for a ‘full duplex’ card.
Can anyone shed any light on any of this and possibly make some recommendations?
I get DSL internet via Frontier high speed internet service.
Recently my house was struck by lightning and the ethernet input in the computer got fried. The computer still works fine offline but no connection can be established between the computer and the Frontier modem for internet service. Frontier techs verified that their modem is good and that the problem is the computer’s ethernet input circuit.
I took my problem to Best Buy and was told by their techs that Dell XPS hardwires their ethernet inputs to the motherboard…..and that it will cost a couple hundred dollars to have them remove the old input circuit and solder in a replacement. Instead, they recommended a small USB device that plugs into the computer and talks to the Frontier modem and uses it’s wifi function to convert the computer to a wireless connection. I tried it, and sure enough….it works!! (although at a slower speed than the original ethernet connection).
At a shopping mall computer kiosk, I just learned that there are fairly cheap ethernet replacement cards that are available…which will provide a ‘work around’ solution to the fried card (without having to remove the defective card). These cards (supposedly) restore the original DSL speed. The tech told me to be sure and look for a ‘full duplex’ card.
Can anyone shed any light on any of this and possibly make some recommendations?
