In today’s era Wi-Fi is the most common term to be used. Almost all of us use Wi-Fi nowadays in place of Ethernet connectivity. Sometimes you can connect to the internet via Wi-Fi but couldn’t connect through the Ethernet cable. Wi-Fi connection may have several advantages but the main benefit of the Ethernet connection is its stability. You might have seen an “Ethernet port not working” message on your PC while trying to connect to the internet. This is one of the most common errors in Ethernet that can be fixed through simple solutions.
What is an Ethernet connection?
Ethernet is nothing but a wired connection with the internet router to access the internet. Ethernet not working issue is basically due to some problems in the cable, driver, hardware, network card and so on. If you open your Network and Sharing center option, then you will come to know that the computer doesn’t acknowledge the Ethernet connection. But when you connect the internet through Wi-Fi, it is working fine.
If you see this error, first turn off your Wi-Fi connection. Windows gives more priority to Ethernet. So, locate the Wi-Fi icon on your notification area which can be found in the bottom right corner of your computer. Right-click on the Wi-Fi icon and go to Network and Internet Settings. Then find the Wi-Fi tab and turn it off. Check whether Ethernet port not working on the Windows issue resolves. If not then, try the below solutions.
How to Fix “Ethernet Port not working” issue?
Follow the below solutions step by step to fix the issue:
Use Different port
If the port you are using to plug the cable may not be working sometimes. In this case, you need to unplug the cable from the port and plug into another port of your router. If the issue is resolved then, the earlier port was defective that need a repair. If the problem is not resolved, the port is working fine and the issue is not with the port.
Run Network Troubleshooter
- Press Windows+I keys to open Settings. And then navigate to Update & Security.
- Further choose Troubleshoot.
- Click on the Internet Connection and then run click Run the Troubleshooter and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Restart the computer and check for the error.
Unload Power
By unloading power, you can remove the extra power stored on your computer. Follow the below steps to unload the power.
- Switch off your computer and Unplug your power cord.
- Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds. Then, release it.
- Plugin your power cord and switch on your computer.
Check if Ethernet is Enabled
If Ethernet not working on your computer, check if Ethernet is disabled in the Device Manager. Follow the below steps to check the status of Ethernet.
- Press Windows key+R to open Run Window.
- Type the command devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
- Double click on the “Network Adapters.”
- Find your network device and right-click on it. Select “Enable” option. If you see Disable there then, it means your device is enabled. In this scenario, select Disable and then press Enable to restart the device.
- Once the process is done, check if the Ethernet port not working issue is resolved.
Update your Drivers
If the above methods are not working, there may be a chance that there is some problem with your device drivers. If you have updated your driver recently, it is better to degrade your driver. There might be some compatibility issue with your new driver update. Then, you must upgrade the driver to the latest version. It can be done both automatically and manually. Finally, you should uninstall the driver and let the Windows install the latest version for the network card.
Case 1: Rollback method
- Press Windows+R.
- Type the command devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
- Open Network Adapter. Locate your network device and double-click it.
- Go to Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver (If Roll Back Driver is inactive then, it means you can’t degrade to the previous version).
- After rolling back to the previous version, restart the computer. Check the connection. If the problem persists then update the driver again.
Note: If you do not have a Wi-Fi connection on your computer, you can perform these steps. So follow these steps on another computer and copy the downloaded file to your computer through USB.
Case 2: Manual update
- Press Windows key + R key and type the command devmgmt.msc and then press Enter.
- Double-click on Network Adapter option to check if you have the latest version of the driver before updating the driver. To check this, follow the below steps.
- Open the Driver tab. You can see the driver version here. Note the version.
- Search and go to your manufacturer’s official website. Go to drivers and check for the latest version for your device.
- Compare and check if you have the latest version. If you have the latest version of the driver then go to the uninstall step of this tutorial. Otherwise, download the latest version of the driver and continue further.
- Locate your network device again and open it.
- Select the option, Update Driver Software.
- Now select “Browse my computer for driver software.”
- Select Browse and choose the driver you have downloaded and press Next button and then follow further instructions (if any).
- Restart your computer and check if Ethernet port, not working problem persists.
Case 3: Uninstall method
You are supposed to install the driver when there is a problem with a driver update. There is another method that requires you to uninstall the driver. In this method, Windows will automatically install the standard driver when you start your computer. These standard drivers may not be the latest version but they are compatible with your computer.
- Open the Run window and type the command devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
- Double-click on the Network Adapter option. Locate your network device and open it.
- Right-click on your display device and select uninstall. If there are any additional instructions, follow it.
- Your driver will be uninstalled now. Restart your computer once uninstallation is over. After restarting the standard or generic driver will be installed automatically. Now, check if the Ethernet port not working problem is resolved.
Check Power Management Settings for Ethernet
- Right-click on the Start button and select the Device Manager to open it.
- Expand Network Adapters and right-click on your Ethernet device and select Properties.
- Navigate to the Power Management tab under the Ethernet Properties window and Uncheck ‘Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power’.
- Click on Apply and press OK to confirm the action.
- Restart your computer and check for the error.
Reset your Network
Resetting your network may help you to fix the issue. To do so follow these steps:
- Press Windows+I keys to Open Network & Internet Settings.
- Scroll down and locate the Network Reset option (You can reset your network component to default. Sometimes you need to reinstall certain network software).
- Click on the Reset Now option and press Yes to confirm the action.
- Your computer will restart and check for the error.
Use Google DNS
- Open the Control Panel and click on Network and Internet.
- Click Network and Sharing Center and then click on Change adapter settings.
- Now select your Wi-Fi then double click on it and then select Properties.
- Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
- Check the option Use the following DNS server addresses and type the following:
Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8
Alternate DNS server: 8.8.4.4
- Close all windows and check for the error.
Change the Cable
If the port is working but still there is a problem with the Ethernet connection then, you need to check your cables. Connect a different cable to the router and check the connection. If the Ethernet problem resolves, then your previous cable is defective. Else, your cable is working fine.
Temporarily Disable Windows Firewall or Antivirus
Sometimes Windows firewall and antivirus might block the Ethernet connection on your computer. Turn off your firewall and antivirus to check if the Ethernet problem is resolved. If you still couldn’t fix the problem then, the issue is somewhere else. Turn on your firewall and antivirus setting.
Conclusion
These are the top fixes for the “Ethernet port not working” problem. Let us know in the comment section which method worked for you? Wanna some more DeviceTricks? Stay tuned to this space to get the latest updates on errors related to Windows, macOS, and Android.
If you feel this article helpful please like, share, and follow our Facebook page.
Leave a Reply