Computer does not see modem. Help!

The iMac is like a laptop with a huge screen that sits on a stand and has a separate keyboard. :madgrin:

 

My hunch would be a hardware issue. How old is the computer? The link light on ethernet ports isn't software controlled - it lights up when it detects a link to another machine, regardless of what software is on the machine.

In the past, i've seen a lot of odd problems crop up with computers - not defective hardware, but environmental issues that cause problems. A capacitor or resistor gets overheated and pops, and something won't work right anymore. I once had a chip overheat so badly it left scorch marks on the motherboard about an inch out. The only thing that was damaged, luckily, was that single USB port. Another time, a voltage regulator on the motherboard blew, and took the rest of the board with it. A friend of mine lost his entire computer one night when a build up of dust in the machine allowed a spark to arc between the processor and a stick of RAM - both them and the mother board were toast.

 

Can't you add some sort of Ethernet card? Or how about something like this:

Apple USB Ethernet Adapter - Apple Store (U.S.)

That would be the f***ing day I pay for a new motherboard/logic board because of a bad port or device

 

No slots in an iMac. It really does have the architecture of a laptop.

Daniel, does your iMac have Airport (wireless) built in? I think they have all come with wireless for several years now. Another option might be the adapter above. I know its not ideal, but it would be much cheaper than another puter.

 

Daniel get some sage and smolder it near your Porsche and your Mac.Then make a spaghetti shrine and pray to it.
The wireless and USB suggestions sound like good ideas.

 

$1200?!?!?!?! They're trying to rip you off with that... replacing a motherboard (and i've done it on plenty of PC's, Mac's really aren't that different) is maybe a few hundred bucks, most of that for the actual board, because the labor involved is easy and quick.

 

Only a couple? That would barely even wet my mouth

Just kidding!

Kokanee is good. Lowenbrau is good. Oh hell, they're ALL good

And don't be shy about asking questions. The only "dumb" question is the one not asked at all

 

I used the pcmslot-to-ethernet trick on a Toshiba laptop around 3 years ago. For some reason, the RJ-45 went dead, and that cheap solution worked fine. At least until I got the new laptop

 

all apple repairs are ridiculously expensive. i have a powerbook which is pushing 5 years and the screen is going out. started with few lines, now have an inch wide blank vertical bar a few inches from left side which causes the screen to repeat itself. (glad i got 17"!) checked on price and it was like $ 1700 for new screen when the thing was only $2700 brand new.

so i live with it. only use it when downstairs and too lazy to go to den upstairs anyway. i have converted all but one i-pod to windows machine so good on that.

 

It's not surprising to me that a logic board would be that much. In something like the iMac (or a laptop) it is basically all of the solid-state parts (including the video card, sound card, networking etc.). Add to that the cost of the labor and $1200 seems in the right ballpark. Apple is really good at fixing things under warranty, but it's really expensive after your warranty expires.

I fully support the USB solution. When the sound card went out on my (barely out of warranty) iMac, I got a ~$20 USB sound card and haven't looked back.