New Mac Mini - No ethernet

Here's an interesting bug. It isn't that big of a deal since I only use it as a DVD jukebox, but I need to get it fixed because it is brand new.

A Mac Mini, the new configuration, about three weeks old. I finally hooked it up to my internal ethernet so I could manipulate it from my IMac. Plug it in, the green light on the switch comes on, but the Mini reports that the cable is unplugged. New cable, same thing. Swap out the switch, although my other three Macs use it fine. Same problem.

So I took it to the local Apple fixit place - an independent, not a corporate Apple store. It wouldn't work for them either. They ordered and replaced the system board which is about all that is in the little box besides the DVD and the power supply. Same problem.

They came to the conclusion that it had to be the software load and wanted my original DVDs that came with the box. But, since I could do that, I brought it home to do it myself. First, I booted from my IMac hard drive using the FireWire link. It still failed. Then a new reload of the OS from scratch. Same thing. Then a reload from a retail copy of Snow Leopard. Still fails.

There isn't a whole lot left to check. All the ethernet hardware including the plug are on the system board. Two sets of totally different OS loads don't fix it.

About the only thing I can think of is that their technician got his hands crossed and reinstalled my old system board.

So back to Apple it goes.

If a logic board replacement, assuming it was done right, doesn't fix it and OS load don't help either..you're definitely under warranty, and should take it back to the Apple Store, you should've taken it there originally too..hopefully having this independent store replace the logic board doesn't void any warranty..

Regards

No. They are a certified Apple repair center. And I assumed that this would be a simple problem. Change the board with the ethernet stuff and problem fixed. Not so in this case. But after talking with them, I am not impressed with their knowledge of Macs. Their tech didnt even know you could boot a Mac over the FireWire from another Mac.

The reason I took it to them is that the closest Apple center is hundreds of miles away. But still, I will be shipping it in for service to Apple next week. It's only about three weeks old so I have plenty of time before warranty runs out.