Installing NIC = defective router? Weird coincidence

[Shocked]

I reformated Win 8 this evening, installed the built-in Killer NIC drivers on my M87 Mpower Max, and everything worked fine briefly until a few minutes later when I noticed I could not only not connect to the 'net, but I couldn't access the router (six week old ASUS RT-AC66U) through my browser.

Noticed this behavior on my laptop when connected via ethernet (using different cable) as well. Laptop can connect to the router via browser if I use wireless connection, but it can't identify my internet connection (which is working fine, I'm using it to type this with the modem just plugged straight into my desktop).

ASUS had me reset the router to defaults, try different cables, etc. Only thing I noticed strange is that both computers would stall when trying to disable their network adapters until I removed the ethernet cables.

ASUS thinks the router's ethernet ports are bad and wants to RMA it. But 1) isn't it a weird coincidence this happened right after I installed network drivers? (I realize that shouldn't affect the router in any way, but it's still strange) and 2) is it normal for all the ethernet ports to go at once? (this considering the router apparently doesn't see the modem or my computers)

 

[Liger88]

I guess now you know why it's called a "Killer NIC" lol. Ok sorry, but someone had to do it.

I would go with the simple answer NO, it's not normal for all the switch ports to die at once, but then again this is consumer low-end level gear we're talking about. I'm guessing the switch ports were working just fine before hand or is this your first time plugging an ethernet cable into the switch ports of the router? The Asus RT-AC66U is still considered kind of a bleeding edge router in the consumer arena so I wouldn't put it past them having some hardware issue especially given it happened so quick.

Were the lights lighting up even when you weren't getting any internet access, yet still plugged into the Asus router? Have you tried updating the firmware? I'm not 100% sure on this but I'll take a stab at it. I'm guessing the switching logic (ASIC chip?) that is feeding the 4 ports is a dud. I know on more expensive switches you have fewer ASIC chips per port numbers (usually 1 per 2 ports), but with consumer gear usually it's much lower. I'm guessing they're only using one. Might be using the wrong term to describe the chip since I know each port has its own individual logic as well, but I'm pretty sure those all feed into a bigger chip is what I'm saying.

Maybe someone else has a better answer?

 

[Shocked]

Nope, not first time plugging stuff into the router. Most of my router use is wired, actually.

I think I updated the firmware when I got the router not too long ago, but I'll check it. ASUS didn't even ask me about that oddly enough (not that they have great tech support... the first guy didn't even bother taking my information or giving me a case number and eventually hung up on me).

Hopefully it's just a freak coincidence, just want to make sure I'm not overlooking something before I have to suffer without a router for several weeks... seems I have terrible luck with routers, I had two D-Link DIR-655s die after about two years each... they shouldn't be overheating where they are so I dunno.

EDIT: One thing that might be worth mentioning, my computers can still tell the ethernet cables are connected to something when they're plugged into the router... they have that yellow caution sign and get stuck at "Identifying network..." Figure if the ports were completely dead it would be saying "no ethernet cable connected"