Issues with Ethernet adapter occur when the connection fails to establish or function properly.
Issues with Ethernet adapter occur when the connection fails to establish or function properly.
Amazon offers an Ethernet card for £9. You can find it here: [link]. Alternatively, a USB to Ethernet adapter is available for £10. More details at the provided Amazon pages.
It seems to be functioning now for an unclear reason. I cleaned the PC when it wasn’t working and updated Windows today—possibly that helped. I thought maybe a restart or a different setup would resolve the issue. I’m considering using Wi-Fi adapters or USB Ethernet ports as backup options. So far, I haven’t seen this happen; it might be because my router assigns both our PCs the same IP address, causing them to connect via Ethernet but not to the internet. I’ve connected directly with cables without changing any settings, relying on automatic IP detection.
As of 12:05 AM PST on Monday, September 21, 2020, I’m able to use Ethernet without the Wi-Fi adapter. I’ve cleaned out junk files and performed a deep scan with Malwarebytes and Avast Anti-Virus—no threats or malicious content detected. The main issue remains the possibility of it happening again unexpectedly. I reinstalled the Realtek PCIE GBE Family Controller driver and updated Windows, hoping to resolve driver problems. I haven’t tested whether my PC and my sister’s devices conflict over IP addresses. Typically they work well when her PC isn’t connected to the router, but now she’s using Wi-Fi instead of the Ethernet adapter I previously relied on (which was great when her internet would drop). I’ll keep monitoring this for a few days and update as needed. Thank you to everyone who offered advice—it eased my worries about needing a new motherboard.
this resolved but i'm still curious about the origin of the conflict. having information would be useful if needed later. at first i assumed my computer had viruses, but now i believe the issue lies with the router—specifically the cheap TP-LINK TL-WR940N model it runs continuously. setting a static IP helped temporarily, but after disconnecting the ethernet cable to my sister's machine, i need to monitor this situation and consider upgrading the router if necessary.
I own ASUS RT-AC86u and RT-87u, both top-tier routers. The 87u got swapped because I needed quicker Wi-Fi, while the 86u just stopped working—something that can happen with any electronics. Just avoid Netgear models. The build quality is good, but the firmware feels sluggish.
I owned an AC68U device and it was a real setback. Numerous firmware updates were required, with alternative versions introducing similar issues. Particularly with added features. For instance, the print server would cease functioning after just one day, and restarting the router was necessary to restore operation. The software for that printer could bring down the entire system (not just my opinion). Someone even crafted a custom firmware change that automatically restarts the router daily! Is this a viable fix for serious hardware? Another choice is to use the print port in raw mode, but it takes over ten seconds to begin printing a single page. My old slow Planet router needed only two seconds for the same task—far from ideal. Some features are completely non-functional or behave extremely poorly. The GUI is sluggish, requiring at least ten to twenty seconds for any adjustment. It’s a stark contrast to other routers like TP-Link, where most settings apply instantly. Or perhaps you’d like to share files via the built-in function? Yes, possible—just provide login and password to someone you trust. Secure, of course. The Wi-Fi range and cable speed are excellent. But that’s enough. The router should perform reliably, with all functions working as promised by the manufacturer. Not the case with AC68U, sorry. I’d prefer even a 5% slower connection on a more dependable device.
Over the past four years, the 86u performed exceptionally well both wired and wirelessly. After the router failed and I needed to switch to a Netgear R8000, I extended my wireless setup using an older router because I couldn’t get a signal in the garden four floors above where it was possible with the 86u.