Windows 7 machine fine to internet via wireless / won't connect wired

[wrowen]

I have found many similar problems to mine, but not the exact one so here goes.

HP Pavilion, Windows 7, 64 bit home premium, i7. Westell 327W wireless router (at&t version)

I have no problem at all connecting to the internet via the wireless connection in my new desktop. But often when I connect with the LAN enabled it simply refuses to connect. The problem is very repeatable with yahoo.com, att.com/speedtest and other sites. I can see and access the rest of my network fine wired only. And on the occasions I have been able to connect, the speed tests are fine.

I just have no idea why it occasionally refuses to connect (have not been able to connect to these sites for several hours now after multiple reboots) via wired and never has any issues over wireless. I have already disabled the router firewall and have the same issue with all non-windows services disabled.

Help!

 

[roncerr]

You need to decide whether the problem is with the wired ports on the router or with the computer that is plugged in. Have you got another computer you can plug in to the router?

 

[wrowen]

making progress

Yes, my laptop works fine over wired.

I jumped worked with Microcenter tech support (who are great by the way) and, long story short, I exchanged the computer and the new one has the same problem.

So I was about to 'give up' and basically try and talk them into giving me a different ethernet card. My preliminary conclusion is that the Realtec ethernet controller in the HP doesn't like the Westell 327W router for some reason.

Then a test occured to me. I got out an old router of mine, hooked it up to the internet and hooked my computer up to it. And Oila (or something) the internet 'seems' to work just fine over wire. I say seems because although it seems fast to me (I'm running a low tier of DSL mind you) the speed test comes back weird. Downoad was less than half of the earlier wireless tests, and Upload was twice as fast. [Embarrased to say what the actual numbers are, but the download is not too far under att's minimum for my tier and the upload is actually in spec].

At this point I don't know whether I should just get a new router or try to get Microcenter to give me a different brand of ethernet card.

 

[roncerr]

...At this point I don't know whether I should just get a new router or try to get Microcenter to give me a different brand of ethernet card.

I found this:
"Tips & Warnings: You may need to upgrade the Westell 327W modem's firmware if you have a new computer.": How to Configure a Westell 327W Modem | eHow.com

BTW, when I go to this site: AT&T High Speed Internet Speed Test I see the page but without any way to do a speed test:

 

[A Guy]

BTW, when I go to this site: AT&T High Speed Internet Speed Test I see the page but without any way to do a spped test:

Worked fine for me, it uses flash apparently. A Guy

 

[roncerr]

...Worked fine for me, it uses flash apparently...

Thanks for the info. It worked for me once several months ago. There was something in the white space. I tried it now on two Windows 7 PCs (IE8) on the same network. It works on one but the other has the white space. Of course, they both have Flash which works fine on everything else.

The OP said "Downoad was less than half of the earlier wireless tests, and Upload was twice as fast." I also noticed weird results on the AT&T test...it said download was 0.78 mb/s and upload was 1.25 mb/s. Speedtest.net usually says it's 1.45 mb/s up and down which makes sense since I'm paying for symmetrical 1.5 mb/s speed.

[Edit: Just got the AT&T Speed Test working! I had the Ghostery add-on installed but disabled on so I re-enabled it and uninstalled it. That fixed the problem with the AT&T speed test. (Computers are getting way too complicated.)]