I recently set up a brand new HP 840 AIO G9 for work, but it came with HP's default image instead of our company's. I tried to install our image through PXE boot, but the system couldn't detect the Ethernet connection and timed out, even after trying different cables and ports. I attempted to update the BIOS, but it failed to find the necessary files.
While navigating through the HP Windows 11 setup, I encountered permission issues when trying to set up an account. I even tried a fresh install using a Windows 11 USB drive, but there was still no detection of Ethernet or Wi-Fi. After reseating the cable, I saw a flicker of connection during setup, but it vanished afterward. Eventually, I had to install drivers manually just to see the Ethernet interface, while Wi-Fi worked fine afterward. I also tested a USB-C to Ethernet adapter, which connected but didn't provide any internet access.
To troubleshoot further, I booted with a live version of Linux Mint, but it couldn't detect the onboard Ethernet port or the USB-C adapter either—Wi-Fi worked there, though. Interestingly, after swapping the imaged drive with a similar model, it booted instantly with hardware detection functioning properly and network connections established. After a day, I was able to access PXE and connect to MDT successfully. It leaves me wondering what I could have overlooked, as I'm curious why the Ethernet worked after several hours when earlier it didn't detect anything. Any thoughts on this?
3 Answers
If other devices can connect without issues, the Ethernet port on the AIO could be flaky. Sometimes, a slight hardware issue can cause intermittent connections. Since the connection worked after some time, it could even be that the onboard Ethernet needed a power cycle or reset of some kind. It could be worth testing with another OS regularly to see if it's consistently detected.
It sounds like a pretty complicated situation! One possibility is that the initial BIOS settings or certain configurations were off, and after a day, perhaps some settings reset or stabilized. This can sometimes happen with new hardware and connections. I’d recommend checking if the Ethernet driver was properly installed or if there were any updates. It might also help to look at the network settings to ensure everything's configured correctly.
Have you tried checking the device manager right after the installation? Sometimes the Ethernet driver could show up as an unknown device if it isn't recognized properly. You might also want to make sure that the Ethernet port is enabled in the BIOS settings if it was previously disabled.
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