Try doing this,
Go into the command prompt, and try to ping the local network connection by typing " ping 127.0.0.1 " If you get a response, it is the first positive sign of a working NIC.
Also, verify the network card model number, it will help in getting the right drivers.
One other thing, check the device manager to see if windows can recognize the network card. If you see a yellow exclamation mark, then there is obviously a driver issue. If you don't even see it, then it is either disabled on the bios level... or you have a defective NIC.