How To Fix Ethernet Ports Not Working On Router?

If the Ethernet ports not working on router, the issue might be software-related with your PC or a potential fault in the cable.

In this post, we’ll cover ALL possibilities and help you fix, if not at least discover the origin of the problem.

To fix Ethernet ports on your router, hard reset your router and switch the Ethernet port’s ends. Next, try with another cable and make sure to use one of the yellow Ethernet ports. Lastly, check if the Ethernet on your PC is enabled.

There are quite a few possibilities for Ethernet problems and next, we will go over all of them so you can have a good idea of what you might be facing.

Why Are Ethernet Ports On Router Not Working?

First of all, the Ethernet connection must be approved from your PC’s software.

The cables might be attached, but if not activated, no internet will be transferred from your router to the output device where you plugged the Ethernet cable.

Here are some frequently met causes, which will definitely interrupt the Ethernet connection:

1. Enabled WiFi

In case the WiFi is enabled, this might cause interference in the Ethernet connection. In that case, the port might not be blinking.

2. Inactive Ports

Some of the Ethernet ports on your router might not be working. You can test with ALL 4 yellow ports on your router.

3. Cable Fault

If the cable itself is not intact, where the most fragile part is the connector, the connection will not work.

4. Ethernet Disabled

If the Ethernet “network” is disabled in your Network Properties, then there will be no connection.

5. PC Port Issue

While it is a rare occasion, the Ethernet port on your PC motherboard might not be working.

Now when you’ve got the possibilities upfront, feel free to proceed with our solutions and hopefully resolve your problem.

How To Fix Ethernet Ports Not Working On Router?

Before we move on any further, make sure that you have plugged the Ethernet cable tightly both into your router and PC.

In case the cable is loose, you can’t expect to have any feedback on the other side.

Note: Remember that in the blue socket of your router goes the Internet cable, not the Ethernet cable.

The Ethernet cable should be connected to one of the yellow ports and the other side to your PC.

When you have the Ethernet cable connected properly, proceed with the first solution:

Solution #1 Hard Reset Your Router

First, we suggest applying a hard reset to your router.

This will clear out any potential power fluctuations your router may have developed and hopefully fix any inactive Ethernet ports.

To perform a hard reset on your router device, follow these steps:

1. Go over to your router and shut it down using the power button.
2. Unplug the power adapter and wait for 5 minutes for the device to discharge.
3. Re-attach the power adapter once that time has elapsed and turn on the router.

Now check if the Ethernet port is going to be recognized by your computer.

Solution #2 Inspect the Ethernet Cable

The fastest way to understand whether there is any data transfer between your router and PC would be if the cable entries are blinking.

If there is no light coming from the cable upon entering it into the port, that would mean that there is something wrong.

Here is what you can do to potentially solve the problem:

1. Unplug the cable from both sides.
2. Rotate its ends.
3. Plug one end in one of the yellow ports of your router.
4. Plug the other end of the cable into your computer.
5. If there is no blinking, test with ALL 4 yellow ports.
6. Make sure to plug the cable tightly so you can hear a “click” sound.

Note: Try applying pressure on both sides of the cable entries, to find out whether it’s going to start blinking.

If yes, that would mean an interruption in the ports or that the cable entry is dirty and does not make a good connection.

Solution #3 Turn Off WiFi

If the Ethernet ports are not working on router, maybe you’ve enabled the WiFi on your computer or have any WiFi adapters attached to the PC.

In this case, we recommend disconnecting them to prioritize the Ethernet cable going into your computer.

Even when there is Ethernet connected, Windows might not prioritize it sometimes and stick with the WiFi.

Down below we will guide you through the process of disabling the WiFi on your computer completely:

1. First, unplug any WiFi adapters on the back of your PC.
2. Then, open the settings of your Windows and go to the “Network” tab.
3. Locate the slider that turns the WiFi on/off and make sure it is flipped to the “off” side.

Once you’re done with these steps, the WiFi should be completely removed from your PC.

You can now check if the Ethernet entries have started blinking. If yes, that would be good news, the connection is now working.

Solution #4 Enable The Ethernet Network

If the issue wasn’t found in the hardware of your configuration, then most certainly your Ethernet connection is not enabled.

Once you have connected an Ethernet cable to your PC, this will instantly create a profile in the Network Connections tab.

Here is how to enable the Ethernet profile of your cable in easy steps:

1. Open your Windows’ start menu.
2. Write “Network Connections” in the search field and press enter.
3. You will be redirected to the control panel where you’re viewing all of the connections in your system.
4. If you only have an Ethernet cable, tap on the one connection you see with the right button and then choose “Enable”.

This will now activate the Ethernet connection on your system and the port on your router will become active.

Note: If it’s already enabled, go ahead and disable it. Wait for a few moments and enable it again. In most cases that solve the software problem.

Solution #5 Run Ethernet Troubleshooting

If nothing worked so far, we suggest running an Ethernet troubleshooting scan.

This process will indicate potential faults with the Ethernet connection of your PC and tell you what’s wrong.

To run Ethernet troubleshooting checks, find the Ethernet icon in your system tray and click on it with the right button on your mouse. Select “Troubleshoot Problems” and wait for the prompt to finish.

If you see a message stating “No connection to the DNS server” that would mean an ISP problem so you can now reach out to them.

On the other hand, if you see a message telling you that the Ethernet is not connected, there are 2 possibilities:

• Your router is not emitting anything
• Your cable is interrupted

We’re now going to proceed with resetting the router which will tighten down the circle of possibilities down to one.

Solution #6 Factory Reset Your Router

Lastly, you should try factory resetting your router. Keep in mind that the factory reset process will reset your router’s network settings so you will have to re-establish them.

To perform a factory reset, follow the steps down below:

1. Make sure your router is up and running.
2. Locate the factory reset button, which should be located in a small hole.
3. Take a sharp object to reach inside the factory reset button hole.
4. Press the button and hold it for ~30 seconds.
5. Release the button once your router shuts down or blinks 2-3 times.

This will send your router into a factory reset process. Be patient. The operation might take up to 10-15 minutes and once your router reboots, test out the ports and the Ethernet connection.

To fix not working Ethernet ports on your router, first hard reset the device and check if the Ethernet is enabled on your PC. Next, try with different cables & ports and troubleshoot Ethernet problems on Windows. Lastly, factory reset your device.

Read Next: Should I Enable MoCA on my Xfinity Router?

Bottom Line:

Now that you know why Ethernet ports not working on router, you’re fully capable of resolving the problem on your own with our solutions!

If the ports end up still not functional by the time you’re reading this, perhaps you’re looking at a hardware fault in your configuration!