It doesn't sound like the faulty NIC because he said it works fine if the laptop is connected to the cable modem directly.Either your router's port is faulty or you could be using cross-over cable.Try connecting your laptop using a network cable to different port in your router. If you have been using connection #1, try connection #2 or 4. Try connecting your laptop to a different router, such as your friends or at school.If any of those above works fine, you may be looking at a faulty router.Check to see if the network cable you have been using is not cross-over cable. Look at the cable ends side by side, and count the colors in the same sequence. If they are out of order you are using cross-over cable.The proper cable color usually found in 568B:(W stands for "white")1-w.orange, 2-orange, 3-w.green, 4-blue, 5-w.blue, 6-green, 7-w.brown, 8-brownWhen you are looking at the terminated end, the plastic tab is facing down. You count the pins from left to right numbering 1 to 8. Let us know how it goes.
