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Wired Ethernet Not Working

Beginner Network & Wi-Fi Applies to: Windows 10, Windows 11

Plugged into the router directly, but still no connection.

Before you start: save any open work and note down what you were doing when the problem started — that context helps if you need to search further or ask for help.
  1. Check the lights on the Ethernet port itself — no lights at all usually means a bad cable or a disabled port.
  2. Try a different Ethernet cable and a different port on the router to rule out a bad cable or port.
  3. Confirm the adapter is enabled: Settings > Network & internet > Ethernet, or check Device Manager for a disabled network adapter.
  4. Update or reinstall the Ethernet adapter driver from Device Manager.
  5. Run "ipconfig /release" followed by "ipconfig /renew" from an admin Command Prompt to force a fresh IP address.
Still not fixed? Send us the details and we'll help you dig further, or browse related guides in Network & Wi-Fi.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I tell if it's the cable or the port?
Try a different cable first, since cables are cheap and fail more often than ports. If a known-working cable still doesn't connect, try a different port on the router or switch to help isolate the cause further.
Why would a wired connection be less reliable than Wi-Fi on the same PC?
It usually isn't inherently less reliable — a wired Ethernet connection not working while Wi-Fi works fine typically points to a specific cable, port, or driver issue rather than a general networking problem.

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