Ethernet and Wi-Fi are two modes of connection used by a computer to connect to the Internet. According to networking experts, an Ethernet connection is considered more stable since it creates a direct link with your computer and consequently there are few chances of interruptions or congestion.

Many times, however, users suddenly find that the Ethernet cable is not working. And to make matters worse, they often cannot think of any reason behind the problem.

If you are facing the “Ethernet cable not working” issue, rest easy. In this post we’ll show you three solutions to this problem. Let’s get started, then.

Solution One – Try a different port on the router and Check Cable

A router has 3-4 LAN ports and there is a possibility the LAN port currently in use is not functioning properly. To ensure there is no problem with the LAN port, just try a different LAN port on the router and see if the problem is solved.

You need to also try different Ethernet cables for making the connection. This will rule out any problem with the Ethernet cable. If both the Ethernet cable and LAN ports are working fine, you can conclude, the problem lies somewhere else. In that case, you need to move to the next solution in the post.

Solution Two – Update Network Card Driver

Like any hardware device or port, your Ethernet port also needs drivers to function. Without a network card driver, Ethernet connectivity cannot be established between your router and computer. Here are the steps to update the Network Card driver

• Click Start
• Type Device manager in the search box and click Device Manager from the list of results
• In the Device Manager window, go to Network Adapters and expand the section
• Look for Ethernet or PCIe driver in the list. If there is any Red Cross or yellow exclamation mark beside the entry, you can conclude the root cause of the problem is the network card driver.
• In that case, you need to go to OEM or motherboard manufacturer website for your region and download the network card driver for your system. Pay attention to the OS and the bit architecture (32-bit/64-bit) when downloading network drivers.
• Download the network drivers and install them and restart your PC. Now check whether the Ethernet cable connection is working.

Alternatively, you can also use a driver software to automatically download and install network card drivers.

Updating Drivers Automatically

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download

 

Solution Three – Make sure Ethernet is enabled

There is a possibility the Ethernet connectivity in your computer is disabled which is causing the Ethernet connection problem. In that case, you just need to enable the Ethernet connection to make things right. Here are the steps to follow.

• Press Windows key and R simultaneously to bring up the Run command
• Type devmgmt.msc and click OK. This will open the Device Manager window.
• In the Device Manager window, go to Network Adapters
• Expand the section by clicking on “>” sign
• Look for a PCIe adapter in the list. If the Ethernet icon has a downward-facing arrow, it means the Ethernet port is disabled. Alternatively, you can also right-click the Ethernet icon and you will see an Enable option in the menu which means the Ethernet connection is disabled.

• Right-click the Ethernet icon and click Enable

Now the Ethernet connection is enabled and you can see the Ethernet Cable has started working