I recently moved into a new home and set up internet service through Bell MTS. The Wi‑Fi works normally, but connecting my computer by Ethernet results in "Unidentified network" and "No Internet." I'm using a 50-foot flat Cat6 cable connected to the modem's 10Gb Ethernet port. The port light blinks orange, so I'm not sure whether that indicates a successful connection or a problem. What should I check to get the wired connection working?
4 Answers
The light color usually indicates the negotiated connection speed rather than whether the connection works. Orange may mean 100 Mbps and green may mean 1 Gbps, depending on the modem. Since the light is blinking, the physical link is probably being detected. Check that the computer’s Ethernet adapter is configured to obtain an IP address automatically through DHCP, and try another LAN port if one is available.
Test with a different Ethernet cable first, preferably a shorter known-good cable. A blinking light only confirms that the devices detect a physical connection; it does not guarantee that the computer is properly configured or receiving internet access.
Try connecting the computer directly to the modem while troubleshooting, rather than going through another router or network device. Also check the modem’s connection or router logs to see whether the computer is receiving an IP address. If it is not getting an address, the issue is likely DHCP or the port configuration rather than the cable speed.
A computer with a regular gigabit Ethernet adapter should generally still connect to a 10Gb port; the devices normally negotiate a compatible speed. The important thing is whether the adapter receives an IP address.
The Ethernet adapter does not need to support 10Gbps just because the modem port is labeled 10Gb. A 1Gbps adapter should normally fall back to gigabit speed. Check the adapter status for an assigned IPv4 address and make sure it is set to obtain both its IP address and DNS server automatically.
I’ll try another cable and check the adapter settings. I wasn’t sure whether the orange light meant the connection had failed.