Ethernet port not working

atavax · August 18, 2025

I plug an ethenet cable into my PC and i don't get any windows notification of it being connected. It says the ethernet port is not connected to the internet. If I move my other PC to that desk and connect it with the same ethernet cable it works fine. I go to the motherboard website and download the latest LAN driver for the motherboard for windows 10 and when i try to install it, it says something about it not being compatible with my operating system, even though it's clearly has windows 10 in the name of the driver, and I even double checked and made sure the PC had windows 10 and not another version of windows. So I go to device manager and try to update my ethernet port that way and it says it already has the latest drivers. Do I just assume that the ethernet port on that motherboard is damaged and accept no wired internet with that PC until i swap motherboards?

YoungBlade · August 18, 2025

Is this a new motherboard? Or is it out of warranty?

If it's within warranty, you could see about getting it replaced by the manufacturer.

If it's out of warranty, and you only need gigabit Ethernet, an adapter card is dirt cheap in most markets. You could just buy one and stick it in a spare PCIe slot. You could even use this as an excuse to upgrade to 2.5 GbE if you didn't have that yet and you think you'll upgrade your network at some point.

atavax · August 18, 2025

4 minutes ago, YoungBlade said:

Is this a new motherboard? Or is it out of warranty?

If it's within warranty, you could see about getting it replaced by the manufacturer.

If it's out of warranty, and you only need gigabit Ethernet, an adapter card is dirt cheap in most markets. You could just buy one and stick it in a spare PCIe slot. You could even use this as an excuse to upgrade to 2.5 GbE if you didn't have that yet and you think you'll upgrade your network at some point.

it's old and out of warranty. It's SFF, a Louqe ghost s1; so i doubt there's space for a card

YoungBlade · August 18, 2025

7 minutes ago, atavax said:

it's old and out of warranty. It's SFF, a Louqe ghost s1; so i doubt there's space for a card

Fair, most ITX boards only have a single PCIe slot for the GPU.

You could get a USB adapter if you have spare ports. There's even 2.5 GbE options that aren't that pricy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNHK5RGL/

I actually like having a USB-C Ethernet adapter around in case I want to use it with a phone. It's not a very common need, admittedly, but it's handy to have it in your back pocket. (Figuratively speaking. It's hooked up to the laptop 99.9% of the time.)

Basic 1 Gbit options can be found for $10 or less. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GRL3VCN

Tech Reprise · August 18, 2025

8 minutes ago, atavax said:

it's old and out of warranty. It's SFF, a Louqe ghost s1; so i doubt there's space for a card

It's not a driver issue, Windows basic driver supports 99% of the lan chipsets out there.

Power down the PC and check if the Lan port pins are oxidised, if they are then remove the power cable and cmos (CR2032 battery) battery and use a small flathead screwdriver to gently clean the oxidation from the top of the pins (Warning: Remove PSU power and CMOS battery beforehand also do not use any sort of cleaners on it).

Also try wiggling the cable to see if it detects even for a fraction of a second, if so the cable might be damaged or the cable contacts are oxidised. You can try crimping a new connector or if its a patch cable buy a new one.