Local Area Connection error message

**flavet** · 2011-03-05 20:38

Sometimes, immediately upon power up, my Desktop display shows a bubble error message down by the Notification Area. The message: Local Area Connection - A network cable is unplugged. (Not so) The bubble fades away after a few seconds.
I suspect this may be related to a complete purge and reinstall of my OS last July. I picked up a nasty virus which I could not clear. I tried to work with Dell (in India) for more than two weeks with no success (no surprise to me). Finally took my PC to my local fix it shop.
They cleaned out the bug, but told me that my Dell built-in Network Interface card was bad, so they installed a different interface card.
They left the Dell card installed, but with no cable connecting that card to my external modem. The new interface card now connects to my modem.
Can anyone suggest how to eliminate these occasional error messages upon startup?

**junebug** · 2011-03-05 20:53

Check Device Manager and see if the onboard Network Adapter is disabled. If not, disable it.

JB

**flavet** · 2011-03-05 21:08

There is only one device that appears under Network Adapter, which is the new card that was installed - a D-Link Ethernet Adapter. At least I think this is the item related to my Internet connection capability. The shipping invoice for my PC merely id's the old Network Interface hardware item as "Integrated 10/100 Ethernet". I don't think I would want to disable the one and only device that shows up on my device list.

**tfspry** · 2011-03-05 23:20

[QUOTE=flavet;792790][LEFT]Sometimes, immediately upon power up, my Desktop display shows a bubble error message down by the Notification Area. The message: Local Area Connection - A network cable is unplugged. (Not so) The bubble fades away after a few seconds.

Could try this ....
Right click the bubble message>Open Network Connections>right click Local Area Connection (that is unplugged)>Properties>uncheck the "Show icon......"

**chowur** · 2011-03-05 23:25

Really in order to help you more with your problem.I need to know what model # of Dell you have.The reason why I ask for is,you need to get into the Bios.In order to,Disable the on board Network card.
There's just way too many F# to press on @ the first post in order to get into the bios it self.

**flavet** · 2011-03-06 11:02

@tfspry - I will have to wait until this problem next shows up (its intermittent) to try your suggestion. Thanks in advance.

**flavet** · 2011-03-06 11:14

@chowur -
My PC: Dell Dimension E310 DV051 Pentium 4 2.80GHz Mem: 512MB OS: XP SP3 Media Center Edition (Pro).
I was able to visit the BIOS and search out the Onboard Devices list, which included a line: Integrated NIC. However, I could not move the highlight from the left pane into the right pane for this group of devices, so was not able to "disable" anything. Besides, I could not find any other screen that showed that there was another item related to a Network Interface capability. Seems like the only group that is changeable in my BIOS is the Boot Sequence group. I can get to my BIOS by pressing the F2 key as soon as the Dell splash screen starts. I can also get to it by pressing the F12 key (instead of the F2), which is a screen related to boot sequence. Am I missing something that will allow me to disable the onboard NIC via the BIOS?

**chowur** · 2011-03-06 19:22

Try the Enter button once you have the line for the Integrated NIC high lighted.This might allow you to shift from the left pane to the right.Just a thought.

**flavet** · 2011-03-06 19:58

@chowur - Perhaps a miscommunicatiion - I cannot highlight the Integrated NIC item, which is in the right pane as part of the group named Onboard Devices (which shows in the left pane). Any key I press when Onboard Devices is highlighted, merely collapes or expands the list of devices which appear in the right pane for that group name. I tried ENTER and the up, down, left, and right arrow keys. I even tried the plus and minus keys. Maybe I have to restart in Safe Mode. The text for the actions you can exercise at any given point is misleading in this case, as it seems to be for all the other groups of devices list in the left pane, except as I said earlier, the boot sequence group.

**tfspry** · 2011-03-06 20:22

It might be worth downloading these FREE programs ....
Belarc Advisor - Free Personal PC Audit (Version 8.1p)

System Information for Windows
... go to bottom of Download tab for Freeware version

Those programs can tell you lots about your system.

**flavet** · 2011-03-06 21:18

@tfspry - Thank you for the leads - I will give them a look-see in the morning. If I had known this would turn out to be such a big problem to solve I never would have brought it up, especially since this only appears occasionally. I really do appreciate all the help and suggestions in any event.

**MikeyD** · 2011-03-10 00:11

I am experiencing a similar problem with a D-Link DFE-530TX ethernet adapter and a Dell Dimension 8200 desktop running XP SP3. Actually I was going to post a query here about it, myself, but I may have solved it. After powering down while out of town I have had to turn the adapter on manually after booting up. I was getting the exact same error message you are and could not connect to the internet. It may be that your card is just not waking up immediately, but then does connect, which is why the message disappears after a delay. Here's what I did:

Check out the driver settings.

1. Under Power Management tab uncheck the box "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."

2. Under Advanced tab set Wake up Type to ALL.

I have not given this solution a thorough testing yet, but after powering off my computer, but not the router/modem, no bubble message and the internet connects just fine. Next trip I will power off everything and see what happens.

Do you know how to access the driver settings?

**flavet** · 2011-03-10 09:38

@MikeyD
This problem only shows up occasionally on my PC, it is merely an annoyance. I looked through my Control Panel (as a start) looking for "Power Management", but only found "Power Options" in the list of items. I opened it anyway and searched around for anything that may have been what you cite; nothing. Also, nothing under Network Connections, or System control panel items. So, I guess my answer would be, No, I don't know how to access the driver settings. At least I can't find anything you mention in your post. Can you describe where I can find any/all of what you cite.

**MikeyD** · 2011-03-11 01:40

Rt Click on "My Computer"
Click "Properties"
Click "Hardware" tab
Click "Device Manager"
Move down to "Network Adapter" and click + to open
Rt Click on your ethernet adapter
Click "Properties"
Click "Power Management" tab
Deselect any boxes that are checked
Click "Advanced" tab
Select and click on "Wake up Type"
In "Value" box select ALL
Click "OK"
Exit

**flavet** · 2011-03-11 09:26

@MikeyD - thank you, now I know where Power Management is, and how to reach it. I never had a reason to search that out. I followed your instructions and have made the settings you set out in your reply. Now I can put this thread to rest. Thanks to all those that posted.

Thread: Local Area Connection error message

Thread Tools