Transfers to one PC breaking entire network?

[binarydad]

I'm trying to figure out if the PCI NIC (made in 2003) is failing. Here are the symptoms:

1. Sometimes on large transfers TO this server, it will freeze the transfer. At that time, the entire network seems to come to a craaaawwwwwlllll and I can't connect to anything. Shutting down the machine immediately allows network activity to resume.

2. This morning, I wasn't able to even boot the machine. It froze up part-way into loading Windows, even under Safe mode with networking support. The only way to get it to boot was in regular Safe Mode. I moved the NIC to a different PCI slot and it SEEMED to be better, but just now I noticed the same issue. So it might not be the slot.

3. At one instance, I plugged a cable into the jack of the NIC and the machine rebooted.

4. Usually when it freezes in a transfer, I'll notice the NIC speed drop from 1Gbps to either 10 or 100mbps.

I'm mainly curious about #1. How can a faulty NIC pretty much kill the entire network? Will it damage my router and switch?

I realize NICs are between $10-$15, so I'll just get a new one, but I want to make sure it's not something else.

Thanks.

 

[coxhaus]

I would try a different NIC since they are so cheap. I would also check for spyware and make sure my antivirus is up to date.
I also assume you are running the latest drivers , BIOS, and motherboard chip set updates if there are any.

 

[PrivateJoker]

On your "why/how could this be happening?" - well, you've pretty much troubleshooted it down to the NIC, it's way beyond my background to determine how/why certain failures manifest themselves, and much more efficient to use good process of elimination to hone in on what's causing the problem.

Don't get the absolute cheapest thing, you know, a decent name brand. Plenty of good ones in sub $35 territory. And I've learned to find a good prospective part, then go to it's website and see when and how often firmware updates happen, it can help give you a sense of how on top of it they are.

 

[Dreamslacker]

I'm mainly curious about #1. How can a faulty NIC pretty much kill the entire network? Will it damage my router and switch?

I realize NICs are between $10-$15, so I'll just get a new one, but I want to make sure it's not something else.

Thanks.

It can happen when the faulty NIC overloads the switch with enough broadcast traffic.
I've encountered this issue when my sister (complete tech idiot) had her laptop infected with malware that kept broadcasting traffic into the network and sent the switch into limbo. Taking down the link to her laptop put the network back in action and I forced a full reformat of her laptop.