MacMini Network Card Problem
I have a MacMini that I've owned since February that has problems connecting to DSL. It's connected directly to the DSL modem with no router. These are the symtoms:
1) Difficulty establishing an intial connection. The connection keeps trying to authenticate the user, then disconnects, then tries again. Sometimes I get connected after 30 seconds (should be instantaneous). Sometimes I can't establish a connection at all. The PC light on my DSL modem lights up when I try to connect and the RX and TX lights flash repeatedely (probably doesn't tell you much).
2) Once the connection is establish, it's erractic. One minute it's speedy and ping get 0% packet loss. The next, it slows or even stalls and I get packet loss avering 40-50% on ping.
3) At some point, the connection just dies and then I try to reconnect and deal with 1).
From the tests I've run, I know that:
1) My internet connection is fine, since I can connect from an old Linux PC reliably and consistently.
2) There's no problem with my ISP.
3) I fooled around with all the PPPoE settings I could think of and nothing changed.
4) I just did a clean reinstall of Tiger (wiping out all my settings as well as the data), and I'm still getting problems.
5) I tried to connect both computers via a crossover cable and then with normal cables to a hub. In neither case did the network card light come on on the Linux PC (though it does when I connect it to the DSL modem).
All symptoms point to a faulty network card. I can't think of anything else that could be the problem.
The next step seems to be to visit an authorized Apple retailer (there's no Apple store in town).
Oh yeah, I'm typing this message on my Linux PC, not my Mac Mini
Any ideas? Is it possible there's something wrong besides my network card?
1) Difficulty establishing an intial connection. The connection keeps trying to authenticate the user, then disconnects, then tries again. Sometimes I get connected after 30 seconds (should be instantaneous). Sometimes I can't establish a connection at all. The PC light on my DSL modem lights up when I try to connect and the RX and TX lights flash repeatedely (probably doesn't tell you much).
2) Once the connection is establish, it's erractic. One minute it's speedy and ping get 0% packet loss. The next, it slows or even stalls and I get packet loss avering 40-50% on ping.
3) At some point, the connection just dies and then I try to reconnect and deal with 1).
From the tests I've run, I know that:
1) My internet connection is fine, since I can connect from an old Linux PC reliably and consistently.
2) There's no problem with my ISP.
3) I fooled around with all the PPPoE settings I could think of and nothing changed.
4) I just did a clean reinstall of Tiger (wiping out all my settings as well as the data), and I'm still getting problems.
5) I tried to connect both computers via a crossover cable and then with normal cables to a hub. In neither case did the network card light come on on the Linux PC (though it does when I connect it to the DSL modem).
All symptoms point to a faulty network card. I can't think of anything else that could be the problem.
The next step seems to be to visit an authorized Apple retailer (there's no Apple store in town).
Oh yeah, I'm typing this message on my Linux PC, not my Mac Mini
Any ideas? Is it possible there's something wrong besides my network card?
Comments
Originally posted by JavaCowboy
I have a MacMini that I've owned since February that has problems connecting to DSL. It's connected directly to the DSL modem with no router. These are the symtoms:
1) Difficulty establishing an intial connection. The connection keeps trying to authenticate the user, then disconnects, then tries again. Sometimes I get connected after 30 seconds (should be instantaneous). Sometimes I can't establish a connection at all. The PC light on my DSL modem lights up when I try to connect and the RX and TX lights flash repeatedely (probably doesn't tell you much).
2) Once the connection is establish, it's erractic. One minute it's speedy and ping get 0% packet loss. The next, it slows or even stalls and I get packet loss avering 40-50% on ping.
3) At some point, the connection just dies and then I try to reconnect and deal with 1).
From the tests I've run, I know that:
1) My internet connection is fine, since I can connect from an old Linux PC reliably and consistently.
2) There's no problem with my ISP.
3) I fooled around with all the PPPoE settings I could think of and nothing changed.
4) I just did a clean reinstall of Tiger (wiping out all my settings as well as the data), and I'm still getting problems.
5) I tried to connect both computers via a crossover cable and then with normal cables to a hub. In neither case did the network card light come on on the Linux PC (though it does when I connect it to the DSL modem).
All symptoms point to a faulty network card. I can't think of anything else that could be the problem.
The next step seems to be to visit an authorized Apple retailer (there's no Apple store in town).
Oh yeah, I'm typing this message on my Linux PC, not my Mac Mini
Any ideas? Is it possible there's something wrong besides my network card?
It could be a problem with your PPPoE dialer, check it in network setings, and install the software that came with your DSL connection, often there is a PPoE dialer that needs to run at startup (all oses can do this automaticly, but if the OS is screwing up...). But honestly I say just get a router, let it do the dirty work, and as a side benifit, protect you from random attacks via NAT. If you need full access, just DMZ yourself.
Originally posted by a_greer
It could be a problem with your PPPoE dialer, check it in network setings, and install the software that came with your DSL connection, often there is a PPoE dialer that needs to run at startup (all oses can do this automaticly, but if the OS is screwing up...). But honestly I say just get a router, let it do the dirty work, and as a side benifit, protect you from random attacks via NAT. If you need full access, just DMZ yourself.
OK, so why wasn't the network light coming on when it was connected to the other computer?
Also, my PPPoE was working up until a week ago. Wouldn't the clean reinstall have corrected whatever problems I had?
I agree with the idea of getting a router in principle, but if the network card is messed up, that wouldn't make a difference, would it?
Also, what do you mean by DMZ myself?
Originally posted by JavaCowboy
OK, so why wasn't the network light coming on when it was connected to the other computer?
Also, my PPPoE was working up until a week ago. Wouldn't the clean reinstall have corrected whatever problems I had?
I agree with the idea of getting a router in principle, but if the network card is messed up, that wouldn't make a difference, would it?
Also, what do you mean by DMZ myself?
With the crossover cable, forget the light, could you get any packets from one unit to the other? could they see eachother?
I am pretty sure that it isnt a hardware problem because it can at least connect momenteraly to the modem, the way you describe that, it sounds like it is trying repeatedly, and unsuccessfully todo a PPPoE handshake untill the connection times out. thus I recomended double checking eith oyur ISP on what PPPoE settingd are needed, or to avoid their tech support, just run their dialer and buy a oruter (which does all the backend BS automaticly after an initial setup)
PS
Sorry for the Geek-Out, DMZ==De-Militarized Zone...you are not protected by the routers firewalling effecs, all ports are open and such (a lot of people use it for games in stead of spending hours reprogramming routers
)