Device halts recognizing the Ethernet link after just a short period of operation
Device halts recognizing the Ethernet link after just a short period of operation
I've faced problems with my Ethernet link for several weeks. Occasionally, the system would freeze briefly while using the computer, followed by a sudden loss of internet and failure for the PC to detect an Ethernet connection. In Device Manager, all network devices show a yellow warning sign. It seems whatever event occurs disrupts the network drivers. My usual fix is resetting network settings and restarting the machine. Recently, when this happened again today after rebooting, I received an overcurrent error message. To compare, last month my USB 3.0 ports also failed in the same way, triggering an overcurrent alert. I disconnected the front case USB ports which resolved the USB issue temporarily. I suspect a similar situation might be affecting the Ethernet connection. For Ethernet, it's connected via a BT mesh network near my PC. Attempts made: installed drivers, updated BIOS, switched cables, cleaned ports and checked for damage. Next steps: I’ll bring a USB-to-Ethernet adapter today to test if the port is faulty, and also try a Wi-Fi dongle to see if wireless works and encounters the same problem. I’m considering upgrading the motherboard and case, but want to confirm this issue remains after those changes. PC Specifications: Power supply Corsair RM650e (2025), CPU AMD Ryzen 5 3600, Motherboard PRIME B450M-A II, RAM 24GB DDR4, GPU GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, BIOS American Megatrends v4631, OS Microsoft Windows 11 Home x64 - 10.0.26100, Build 26100.
I'm concerned about a possible gap between the case and the motherboard, or a general motherboard problem, because the issue seems to be happening more often and getting worse. Before proceeding, try moving the build outside the case and testing it on a cardboard box for a few days to see if the problem persists.
Have you reached out to your internet service provider? Occasionally the issue lies with them, not just your setup, especially when ethernet and wifi connections stop working.
This appears to be a promising concept. I plan to address it this afternoon and observe the outcome.
This section seems questionable - have you experimented with different gadgets? I faced a comparable issue recently, but it turned out to be the cat6 cable. Changing the cables resolved the issue, so it might not be the problem. Could you confirm if another device can still connect to the BT Mesh?
Yeah I added that line as I realised that since this isn't conventional, I know there's a chance something there is the culprit. Good idea on checking another device, I'll plug a laptop in later and give it a try. I'm tempted to try another cable (the one I've switched out for is another old one we had sitting around, so maybe a brand-new cable would be a better idea to test with).
It seems your PC is freezing and then recovering, but the network drivers aren’t working. This suggests a driver crash might be the issue. I’m not sure if a short circuit caused it, but it’s likely we need to check the BIOS reset. You mentioned you’ve updated your BIOS—good, but resetting it to defaults could help.
Troubleshooting points: Recent changes? New software installed? Windows update applied? Can you recreate the issue using identical steps or same tools? Is this happening consistently or sporadically? Does it usually occur after a certain period or following particular online actions? Troubleshooting actions: 1) Disconnect all peripherals except keyboard, mouse, video and Ethernet; replace cables. 2) Turn off all background processes or apps that might connect to the internet. 3) Re-enable applications individually, checking which one causes the problem. My observation suggests a physical fault—possibly a damaged solder joint, a loose connector, or a worn RJ-45 port. These connections can loosen with heat, breaking circuits. The joints on some motherboard connectors are often not secure enough, and the RJ-45 jack may shift during normal use. I’ve noticed this before: connection works until the cable is moved or heated for a while, then it drops suddenly. In your situation, something similar might disable the chipset. After shutting down or rebooting, restarting drivers, etc., the affected part cools and functions again—until it fails again. Or my assessment might be incorrect.