How to forum: Can not connect desktop through Lan connection

"allowing a surge through"
It is not the modems job to protect anything, it is yours.
There are surge protectors for Phone and Cable lines.

I recently lost a Modem (standalone belonging to the cable company) and Router (belonging to me) in a recent electrical storm.
Fortunately I had another router and now I have a UPS with cable surge protection too.

P

Not blaming the modem. Just giving information that the modem went out so it might have sent a surge through to the network adapter and I do have a surge protector on the line also. I'm trying to see if there is a configuration problem or whether there is a fried adapter, not put the blame on a certain part for the problem.

you had a surge that took out the modem and the ethernet port on your motherboard.
The modem didn't "allow" the surge through, it had no option. The surge was strong enough to kill the modem and continue out through the ethernet ports.
The surge, now weaker, took out the ethernet port of your desktop which killed all that was left of the surge.

Exactly as I mentioned happened to mine, except that my second line of defense turned out to be the standalone Router and not a computer.

As Bob said, replace the ethernet port on the MB with a PCI Ethernet card and you are back in business. If the Controller does not appear in the Device Manager, it is unlikely that it was found by the system, especially if you do not have any error indications in Device Manager.

Suggestion: Replace that surge protector, it did not work when it was needed and even if it did, it is now an ex-surge protector. They only work once!

Was it one of those surge protectors that have a warranty, involving money?
Was it "protecting" power or was it protecting the incoming data signal from your ISP?

P

Yea, had a router too. The router was fine, still works. It tool out the modem and network adapter but I had one guy say sometimes the settings can get change and if you knew what happened you might can get it set but when I search I can't find the adapter in the device manager nor can I reinstall the drivers so I guess that tells me the adapter is fried, just weird how it hit certain things and passing without damage through others but I wanted to try and find out if there might be something I was missing that might help me find the adapter and it wasn't just the adapter

You can try uninstalling the driver through Device Manager, then reinstall it using your driver discs or downloaded via laptop. Before uninstalling, make sure you get the device details in order to obtain the proper drivers.

I feel that you will likely need to replace the NIC or, if you don't want to crack the case, purchase a USB wireless adapter. Either will be a cheap fix.

Yea, I guess that is what is making me think it's the adapter too. If I go to look for it, none of the drivers that Windows 7 have will locate it and the dick that came with it won't locate it either so that brings me back to the adapter. If it was a surge it went through the modem, left the router ok then hit the adapter. So it's buy a PCI adapter and be done with it. With the orange light on I thought maybe it was still working but had other problems but I think it is gone.