A power outage yesterday left my desktop PC without a wired Ethernet connection. Wi‑Fi still works on my phone and laptop, and the TV's wired connection is fine. I tried reconnecting both ends, using a brand-new Ethernet cable, restarting the router, unplugging the PC and discharging it, running command-line troubleshooting steps, and reinstalling the Ethernet controller through Device Manager. None of that helped. I also tested the PC with the router ports and cable that work for the TV, but the PC still would not connect. Could the motherboard's built-in Ethernet port have been damaged, and would a USB-to-Ethernet adapter reliably bypass the problem?
2 Answers
A USB Ethernet adapter is a reasonable fix and will usually work independently of the motherboard’s integrated network chip. A PCIe Ethernet card would also restore wired networking, but it requires opening the case and installing hardware, so USB is more convenient in your situation.
Since the same router ports and cable work with the TV but not with the desktop, the PC’s Ethernet port or its circuitry is probably the issue. If there are no link lights on the PC’s Ethernet jack when the cable is connected, that makes hardware failure even more likely. A USB-to-Ethernet adapter should bypass the built-in port and is the easiest option to try.
I tested the cable and router ports that work with the TV, and the desktop still showed no connection. Since the case is difficult to access, I’d prefer trying a USB adapter first.
I’m leaving an internal card as a last resort because the PC is in an awkward spot, but I’m willing to try the USB option if it should bypass the damaged port.