🚀 go-pugleaf

  This is why a responsible manufacturer provided diagnostics
- for free.  Diagnostics remove the OS as a potential reason
for failure; simplify analysis.  Diagnostic first tests,
comprehensively, computer hardware talking to local network
card's 'logic'.  Next two computers (must be same NIC
manufacturer) exchange data continuously to test on a worst
case basis.

  Had a working network card that only failed after
diagnostic's data exchange ran for minutes - constantly.  IOW
diagnostic discovered by computer had to be periodically
rebooted.  Manufacturer's diagnostic is should be executed
before doing anything else.

  Second, heat is a tool for locating an intermittent part. 
For example, while running that diagnostic constantly, then
selectively heat NIC or motherboard ICs with hairdryer on
high.  That heat is quite normal operating temperature for
semiconductors AND may turn an intermittent failure into a
hard failure - only while hot.  Heat is a powerful tool to
isolate reason for failure.  Actually, we did this test by
resting a hot soldering iron right on top of each IC.  When
test failed, then IC touching soldering IC was reason for
failure or connected to defective IC.  Just another tool to
locate and solve your mystery.

evil wrote:
> Hi All... wondering if anyone has any clues about the following;
> 
> Mate's puter has probs with his network card (Netcomm I think... 
> it's a realtek chipset of some type), this is what happens;
> 
> 1. Card stops working, computer doesn't detect card, no 'link' 
> light on card. Computer doesn't show any error message or anything,
> it simply doesn't detect the card.
> 2. I change the PCI slot where the network card is plugged => 
> computer detects card and everything works good until....
> 3. A couple of reboots later exactly the same thing happens
> 
> We've swapped the network card with another known to work reliably 
> but have the same problem. I'm assuming this might be something to 
> do with the motherboard... but no there's no sign of conflicts or 
> any such thing...
> Motherboard's a AOpen KT266 I think. Puter's running windoze xp 
> with all hotpatches etc.
> 
> Any theories out there? I'm just about out of ideas...