One for the Network gurus, me thinks. PC is a homebrew using a Foxconn A74ML-K motherboard ,which has a Realtek 10/100/1000MB LAN CHIP. Recently got a new printer which can work USB or networked. I'm looking at simply connecting with a crossover cat 5 as printer is next to PC, but in meantime I've tried to link it through a router. Problem is that the network is not seen on device manager. The motherboard driver CD shows all drivers installed and as an extra ,I've downloaded the LAN driver from Foxconn and installation throws up an error "deep sleep enabled", which from net research means that ( to me) that when PC went to sleep, LAN did as well, but failed to wake up  when PC did. I conect to net using aT mobile dongle. With dongle in ,ipconfig shows up an ip OF 10.53.38.159. With dongle and router connected, still the same (from memory network was 192.168 .255 .xx) . Dongle removed and it's software un installed shows no IP. Tried this on both XP PRO 32 and W7 Ultimate 64. Disabled all firewalls and Avast , still no change. Looks like only solution is a reinstall of OS ,which seems a bit drastic as idea was to use the RJ45 PC port and release a USB port, as I'm running out of them even though I've got a external powered hub with several ports on it, and any extra have to come from the few on the rear of PC.  Any ideas as to how to wakeup the LAN?

Have you got a DHCP server running on your network? Some routers have this as an option. Can you explain how your network is set up ( how do you link to the Internet )?

Net is via a T-Mobile  dongle. nothing else running as a network .network card not seen .

That's your problem, you haven't anything controlling the network and issuing IP addresses. You either need a router than can act as your DHCP server or you set up the devices with static ip addresses via networking in networking properties in windows and you can probably do the same for the printer through it's interface. If you assigning static IP address use 10.1.1.1 for the pc and 10.1.1.2 for the printer and use the same subnet 2555.255.255.0.

Remember you can daisy chain USB hubs (up to 256 devices), or if you need the speed, you can buy a pci/pci-e card with multiple USB3 ports on.

I'd probably buy a network card rather than reinstall. They're cheap as chips.

 

Possible the network chips set on the the mobo has gone titsup.

 

TBH unless you want to move the printer elsewhere it's probably best staying on USB anyway.

The web reports on Deep sleep was a red herring in my case. I had occasion to go into bios and as a thought looked at LAN settings. It showed DISABLED, so setto enabled, and LO- allwas right.

The idea of using the network port was to free up a badly needed USB port from my stand alone USB hub. All is now well,and I'll  connect printer to PC using a cross over cable.

Have you had a look in bios?

 

On some motherboards the ethernet adapter can be disabled here.

See post #7.