New modem installed. PC connection fails over Ethernet despite working on another machine. What's causing this issue?
New modem installed. PC connection fails over Ethernet despite working on another machine. What's causing this issue?
Hello, The Ethernet choice vanished from your list of available networks. The green indicator stays lit. To give some context; I was playing online games on my PC while my dad turned off a circuit breaker in the house. My PC wasn’t connected to that breaker, but our modem remained functional. He contacted the ISP, who sent a technician to fix it and replaced the modem at no cost. The new modem is working properly and my dad’s PC is now connected via Ethernet without problems. WiFi for phones is also operational. However, my PC still can’t reach the internet through Ethernet—no clear reason yet. I’ve tried various fixes from this article and other suggestions, but nothing resolves the issue. I’m unable to connect to the modem over Ethernet either. Could the Ethernet port on my motherboard be faulty? Since the green light is on, it seems the port isn’t dead. What additional troubleshooting steps might help? Thanks.
The main issue is a direct copper wire connecting a damaged device to your onboard NIC. If you only receive an IP address starting with 169.*., it's likely the connection was broken. You might manually assign a free IP address. Test the router/modem for responses and try another cable. Verify the modem port works with another device. Reinstall or update drivers, update BIOS, or reinstall the BIOS. Consider using a PCIe1 card, USB NIC, or Wi-Fi adapter. Remember to disable any old card to prevent conflicts, ensuring it doesn't receive an IP address.
To remove a network adapter driver in Windows 10, open Device Manager, find the network adapter, and click Uninstall. Select the appropriate driver (Intel Gigabit, Realtek, etc.) and delete the associated software. Restart your PC and reconnect the Ethernet cable. If issues persist, test with a different Ethernet cable.
You want to find out the public IP address. You asked how to retrieve it and what options exist. The sticker on your modem shows a local IP, but that won’t work for external communication. You can ping other devices or use online tools to discover your public IP. IPs starting with 169 are often reserved for private networks and aren’t usable outside your local area. To get a free IP manually, you can use services like cloudflare’s free IP lookup or other online providers.
I removed the Realtek driver and tried to reinstall it. After restarting my PC, the Ethernet option still didn’t appear in my available networks. I also used another cable, but nothing worked. It seems uninstalling the driver might have affected its availability. This cycle of trying and failing feels like a loop—connecting for updates requires an internet connection, which I can’t get right now.
I discovered a configuration I disabled and then reactivated. It appears in settings>system>about>system protection>device installation settings. The prompt reads, "Do you want to automatically download manufacturers' apps and custom icons available for your devices?" I selected yes. I suspect this was the setting you were referring to. I mistakenly turned it off without fully understanding its purpose when I changed it. After restarting my PC and inspecting device manager, I still don’t see a driver listed for Realtek (Ethernet). Is there a reliable method to verify that the built-in Ethernet remains functional? How can I reinstall the driver if the automatic installation failed? Are there other Windows options that might be blocking communication over the Ethernet cable? Shouldn’t the PC and modem attempt to connect automatically once linked? Your computer doesn’t appear to be initiating the connection properly. Appreciate your assistance.
You understand it requires a network to find drivers for the network card it lacks. Drivers for network cards and AHCI/RAID should always be obtained from the mainboard manufacturers' support site, extracted, and saved on the Win Install USB drive. You'll need both before you can have a working network if required.
You're asking about a technical issue with your network adapter setup. The warning you received suggests a problem with the Realtek Network Controller, possibly due to a missing or disabled deep sleep mode. It seems the system is trying to disable deep sleep because it can't locate the controller. You mentioned turning off hibernation and attempting reinstallation, but the error persists.
The situation sounds serious—if the driver can't find the onboard NIC, it could indicate hardware issues. Purchasing a PCIe NIC is a good backup plan, but you're concerned about your existing unit. Placing the modem on a surge protector might help prevent similar problems during power fluctuations. In a scenario where power surges occur while communication is active, a surge protector could provide some protection. However, it's not guaranteed to resolve the underlying controller issue. Consider checking the physical connections and ensuring the device is properly seated before rebooting. If the problem continues, further diagnostics or professional assistance may be necessary.
It seems your NIC is having trouble connecting. The device keeps asking for an IP address, but it can't locate it properly. Usually, DHCP requests the IP address automatically. Checking the MAC address in the modem's DHCP list confirms the hardware is functional. It might just be a MAC handshake between the components. In Device Manager, look for the NIC as an unknown or network device. You can attempt to install the driver there. If you already have Wi-Fi drivers set up, try connecting your phone via hotspot and see if it detects drivers over the internet.