I bought a new Ethernet cable and connected my PC directly to the router, but the computer still reports that the network cable is unplugged. If I toggle Wi‑Fi off and back on, it briefly shows "Identifying Network" before returning to the same error. I'm not sure whether the issue is the cable, the router port, or the Ethernet adapter in my PC. What should I test to find the faulty part?
1 Answer
You’ll need to isolate the three possible failure points: the cable, the router’s Ethernet port, and the PC’s network adapter. Try the cable in a different router port, then test it with another device if possible. You can also try a known-working cable with your PC. Check whether the link/activity lights come on at the router or PC port, and confirm that the Ethernet adapter is enabled and its driver is installed. The brief “Identifying Network” message suggests the computer may detect a connection momentarily, so testing each component separately should reveal what’s failing.
The router and PC work normally over Wi‑Fi, so I’ll test the cable and Ethernet ports separately to narrow it down.