Router dies, followed by PC ethernet ports failing

[giygaskeptpraying]

I was having problems with my modem and router after they both lost power for a split second during a storm. Couldn't get the modem to communicate with the router no matter how many times I restarted them both (the modem has an ethernet activity LED indicator that didn't flash when the router was connected, meaning it wasn't sending any data). So I had to connect my computer's ethernet directly to the modem to get internet access (here the ethernet LED was flashing as expected). I left it like this for the rest of the day.

Later I put my computer in standby and noticed that the ethernet light stopped flashing again. I thought it might be because the computer was in sleep, but when I woke it, the light still wouldn't flash, and that's when the ethernet ports died. The orange light in the port didn't even light up.

My mobo has two, an Intel and a Realtek port. Ever since I got it I've been using the Intel port. The Realtek one now doesn't show any signs of activity at all when I plug in the cable. When I plug it in the Intel one, I realized the orange light flashes for half a second before going dark, then flashing briefly again, indefinitely. I can see the taskbar network icon go from the red X briefly to the yellow ! triangle, then back to red, etc.

Why did the ethernet connection from my modem to my PC suddenly fail like that? When it was fine for hours after the power surge.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Damage from surges or brownouts may not be immediately apparent. If your LAN was operational at the time of the surge and the router was damaged, the modem and Ethernet ports/adapter may have been damaged as well, but not enough to instantly fail. There could have been SOME damage that was pushed over the edge once it was used. Hardware doesn't always fail immediately when something electrical is damaged. Any portion of the network adapter may have been weakened and then finally just gave in. It's pretty unusual for BOTH adapters to fail at the same time though if they weren't both connected at the time.

I think I'd try removing and reinstalling the appropriate drivers for each adapter first, before condemning them. It may not even be the Ethernet ports at all. If the modem has failed completely, it may not even look to the computer as if anything is connected or it may not be able to sustain a connection with the modem. If the router was damaged I'd have to believe the modem was as well.