I've been using Ethernet on my desktop PC without any issues for the past year. Last night, I put it to sleep, and when I woke it up this morning, there was no connection. I confirmed the cables and router are fine since I can use Wi-Fi, although it's slower due to my setup. Oddly, my network options show no Ethernet at all, and when I checked the device manager, it wasn't there, just hidden. I tried disabling and reenabling the device, but that didn't help. I even uninstalled and reinstalled the Ethernet driver for the Realtek Gaming 2.5 GbE Family Controller #2, and it didn't show up during reinstallation either. I've restarted everything multiple times. I noticed a solid orange light when plugging in the Ethernet cable. I could really use some guidance on this – thanks!
5 Answers
If it's not showing up in Device Manager at all, you might have a bigger issue at hand. I'd suggest booting from a live Linux USB to see if the network adapter works there. If it doesn't show up in Linux either, it’s likely that your Ethernet card has failed and will need replacing.
Some motherboards have quirks that can cause the LAN port to disappear, especially if you unplug the cable while the power is on. If you’re using an MSI B850 Tomahawk, for instance, try shutting everything down, turning off the power supply, and holding the power button for about 30 seconds to drain residual power. After that, reboot and see if the LAN comes back.
Have you checked if the Ethernet cable itself went bad? It's worth swapping it out for another one as your first troubleshooting step, just to eliminate that as the issue. Also, make sure you're plugged into the right port on the router.
Sounds like it could be a driver issue, especially if Windows did any updates recently. Check your BIOS to ensure the Ethernet is enabled there. You might also want to try a network reset in your settings. Alternatively, consider forcing an older driver on the hidden device, if possible. If all else fails, a USB Ethernet adapter could be a quick fix.
Have you tried manually updating the driver directly from Realtek's website? That might bring your Ethernet connection back to life! Here's the link: [Realtek Driver Download](https://www.realtek.com/Download/List?cate_id=584). That's usually the first step to try in situations like this.
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