wired connection problem on HDX16

hey guys,

i originally posted this on the HP sub-forum, but i didn't get any replies (thus far), so i figured it might be in the wrong place, which is why i'm here now.

anyhow, yesterday morning, i discovered that my ethernet/LAN connection dropped suddenly, transitioning to the yellow triangle thingy that indicates limited or no connectivity. i do not recall doing anything out of the ordinary at the time, but i could no longer access the internet. i switched over to wireless, while i attempted the following fixes:
1. restarting - same problem, except the connection is unidentifiable now (as opposed to network with yellow triangle) and indicates "no internet access"
1. testing the jack/cable - worked perfectly with another comp
2. testing the OS - my vista partition was also unable to connect via ethernet, when i'm fairly certain it used to be able to
3. testing the mac address - cross referenced the blocked list, and there were no holds against it
4. reinstalling the realtek drivers - rebooted, same problem
5. used the win7 troubleshooter - no fix, but it displayed the error message "'Local Area Connection' does not have a valid IP configuration" when it finished running.
6. "system restore" - was going to try, but realized that i didn't have any restore points on days prior to yesterday

so now i don't know what to do. if anyone else has experienced this problem previously, any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

In the "Network and Sharing" applet, is the network listed as a private network or a public network. If it says public, reset it to private. Check to see if your connection is set up to get its IP info via DHCP, and make sure that the router is set up to act as a DHCP server.

 

An update for IE 8 just came out yesterday - if your Windows Update is set to Automatic (NEVER use auto updates for anything except Virus Definition updates), there's a good chance that it's reset your Internet Options. You need to first make sure it's a 'net connection problem and not a Network Connection problem.

Open up your Network and Sharing window from the Control Panel, and make sure that you've got an established connection to your Router. If so, and you're not connecting to the 'net, make sure it's not a Router hang and do a Power Reset on your Router - unplug it for at least 45 seconds, then plug it back in. This happens more often than you might think.

Once you reset your Router, check the Internet LED on the front - it should be blinking fast enough that it appears steady. If it's blinking slowly, then it means you don't have an Internet connection coming in to connect to.

If that doesn't do it, then check your Internet Options' Zone Settings and make sure they haven't been changed by the update, if you installed it, assuming you're using IE8. Either way, check them anyway to be sure.