Thread: Network ports quit working on my router?

Originally Posted by RedGTiVR6

I'm not sure when this happened since I mostly use wireless...mostly like 99.9% of the time.

I have plugged in an IP phone (which they configured for me before they sent it to me) and I've plugged in my laptop. Neither device can see the network. The laptop tells me that a network cable is unplugged while the phone tells me it can't find the network.

I'm not sure where to start on this. I've rebooted the router (soft), it didn't change anything. I've plugged the laptop directly into the modem and I get a connection just fine. I've even tried directly plugging in both the phone and the laptop to the router instead of using the ports on the wall that we added, still nothing.

Where do I need to start troubleshooting? Is there something in the admin panel that might help with this?

Thanks in advance!

Jan, what brand of router? The bad news is that if you plug in a cable to the router and it says a cable is unplugged, the chances are the router is dead as there is no power at the ports.

You might try 'resetting' the router to factory default and reconfigure from that point.

Generally pressing a button recessed in a hole on the router with a paper clip will do that.

It is possible the ports are nonfunctional.....

Originally Posted by TruckinMP3

You might try 'resetting' the router to factory default and reconfigure from that point.

Generally pressing a button recessed in a hole on the router with a paper clip will do that.

It is possible the ports are nonfunctional.....

That's where I was going to go, but some routers are different. On most, you hold the reset button for more than 10 seconds. If after that, when plugged in, it says that a cable is unplugged, it's time for a new router. Even if a network is dead, no other cables even plugged into it, you will not get the "cable unplugged" as it only looks for communication power to the router, not a network signal.

Routers are cheap though.

Time to get a N type draft 2.0 router then.

Originally Posted by 2k1Toaster

Time to get a N type draft 2.0 router then.

Nothing like overkill. A router that is faster than the internet.

Hey, not a bad price on them though! Might go that way myself now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Alink-300M-Draft...QQcmdZViewItem

Originally Posted by 2k1Toaster

Time to get a N type draft 2.0 router then.

I could justify it if my laptop could utilize the technology...but no point in spending the extra $$ when i'm going to probably end up replacing it yet again before I get a new laptop...lol

A while back, after being gone for a weke and a half, we came home to one side of the house being without power...really strong storm came through and a lightning strike had caused a breaker to switch on that side of the house. Absolutely NOTHING seemend to be wrong over there....except now I'm thinking the router took the hit...

damn! guess I'll be buying a new router.

It's a Linksys fwiw...wireless G.

Those linksys routers are awesome. Especially when you load some of the newer non-linksys firmware on there. So many simultaneous connections it makes me drool.

And @daniel:

The point of a super speedy router is for internal connections. Live streaming HDTV throughout the house. (or lots of voip calls since draft 2.0 calls for voip and video streams to have a higher priority with bandwith. So it will auto-scale general browsing down, and increase high priority channels.)

Originally Posted by 2k1Toaster

Those linksys routers are awesome. Especially when you load some of the newer non-linksys firmware on there. So many simultaneous connections it makes me drool.

And @daniel:

The point of a super speedy router is for internal connections. Live streaming HDTV throughout the house. (or lots of voip calls since draft 2.0 calls for voip and video streams to have a higher priority with bandwith. So it will auto-scale general browsing down, and increase high priority channels.)

I run a couple of those "aftermarket" wrt54g routers you speak of. lol

I have everything hardwired around the house and the only real "wireless" is my laptop and the car. But I can see where those would be "fun" to have around.

I've got one staring me in the face right now. I am actually just on Newegg now buying the new dual band 802.11a/b/g/n 2.4Ghz/5.0Ghz linksys router now. It looks like something darth vader would own.