For Windows 2000/XP users:
Right-click My Computer and select Properties. Next, click on the HARDWARE tab and the click on the DEVICE MANAGER option. Under the section for NETWORK ADAPTERS, right click your network card and select Properties. Under the advanced TAB under MEDIA TYPE, set the value option on the right to 10mb half duplex mode.
For Windows 9x/ME users:
Right-click My Computer and select Properties. Next, click on the DEVICE MANAGER option. Under the section for NETWORK ADAPTERS, right-click your network card and select properties. Under the advanced TAB under MEDIA TYPE, set the value option on the right to 10mb half duplex mode.
If you are using an onboard network card and have a PCI network card available to you, disabling the onboard network card and using a physical PCI network card has been known to solve the Link Dead issue. Please refer to your motherboard manual on how to disable your onboard network card.
You may also be going link dead due to the "Checksum Offload" option on your network card. To disable this, please do the following:
Please try the following to stop from going link dead:
-Click Windows -> Settings -> Control Panel -Open System (if in category view it's within Performance and Maintenance) -Click on the Hardware tab, then Device Manager, then click on the + sign next to Network Adapters, and finally double-click on your network card. -Go to the advanced tab and look in the Property list for an option named "Checksum Offload" (the exact phrasing may differ slightly for your card and not all cards have this). -Select this option, change the value to Disabled. -Click on the Power Management tab -Uncheck the top line "Allow this computer to turn off this device to save power. -Click OK and restart the computer.