I've recently connected an ethernet cable from my router to my home office, but my Windows 11 system keeps saying it's not connected. I initially thought there was a problem with the LAN port, so I bought a USB ethernet adapter. Unfortunately, I'm still seeing the same 'Not Connected' status. The cable works fine on other devices, so I suspect it's a software issue. When I run 'ipconfig /all' in the command prompt, it indicates that the media state is 'Media Disconnected'. I've even done a fresh install of Windows 11, but that hasn't resolved the issue. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
Try booting from a Linux USB stick. This won't interfere with Windows, and it's a quick way to see if your hardware is the issue. If the ethernet works in Linux, then you know it’s likely a Windows or driver problem. If it doesn't work there either, that might suggest a hardware fault.
First off, make sure you've installed the latest chipset and LAN drivers from your motherboard manufacturer's support page. Sometimes those drivers are the missing piece. It can make a big difference in connectivity.
Yes, everything is up to date on my drivers.
It didn’t work in Ubuntu either. Does that mean it’s a hardware problem? Why wouldn’t the dongle resolve it?