Fix: Network Cable is Not Properly Plugged

The “Network cable is not properly plugged” error is a common error message that appears when trying to troubleshoot your internet connection in the Internet connections troubleshooter.

This error can appear even when you are not using an ethernet cable. It can stall your internet connection, randomly disconnect your current network connection, or outright stop you from connecting to any network.

If this is precisely the problem you are facing, we have covered information on why this issue occurs and how you can fix it.

Why Does The “Network Cable is Not Properly Plugged” Error Appear?

How to Fix The “Network Cable is Not Properly Plugged” Error?

Before you begin, restart your PC. If you have multiple ethernet ports, try switching the ethernet cable to a different port to make sure you are not using a faulty port. Also, make sure the ethernet cable and the port are clean. You can try a different ethernet cable to see if it works.

If this error appeared while using Wi-Fi, check if Wireless is enabled. Some of the previous model laptops feature Wi-Fi switches in them. Make sure it is enabled. If this issue appears across all the devices connected to the same network, try restarting the network router.

If this issue persists, you should try out the methods below.

Perform a Power Drain

A power drain is when you turn off any electronic equipment, unplug everything, and drain the device’s capacitor charge. This process is usually used to solve hardware hanging and firmware issues.

If the network adapter card inside your PC is hanging or has congested electrical signals, this method will drain and clear it.

1. Turn off your PC.
2. Take out the battery (If possible)
3. Make sure the charger and all other peripheral devices are unplugged.
4. Hold down the Power button for about 30 seconds.
   
5. Put the battery back on and turn on your PC.

Configure Your Network Adapter’s Duplex

Your network adapter’s duplex settings manage the speed and directions of all your computer’s network communication. Every Windows computer is set to Auto-negotiation by default, where the system decides and applies the best settings.

However, the default setting may not work every time. Auto-negotiation will only work correctly when both the devices communicating in a network are configured as such.

Auto-negotiation prefers higher speed and full duplex. So, if your network uses a 100 Mbps Half Duplex configuration, auto-negotiation may set 100 Mbps Full Duplex as your configuration, disrupting the connection.

Here’s how you can manually configure your duplex settings and solve it:

1. Access Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R hotkey.
2. Enter devmgmt.msc to open Device Manager.
   
3. Go to Network adapters and right-click your network adapter.
4. Select Properties.
   
5. Go to Advanced and choose Speed and Duplex under Property.
   
6. Try each value to see if any one of them works for you.

If none of the duplex settings work, set it back to default.

Reset Network Component

You can also try resetting all your network components, including changing your IP address, flushing your DNS cache, and resetting your internet protocol and winsock. This will thoroughly clean your network of any previous data and cache.

Here’s how you can do so.

1. Open Run Utility using Windows + R shortcut key.
2. Enter cmd to open Command Prompt.
3. In Command Prompt, enter the following commands:
   ipconfig /release
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /renew

netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset
   
4. Exit Command Prompt.
5. Restart your PC.

Check Your Antivirus

Antivirus can also interfere with your network configuration and hinder your network connection to the internet. You should try disabling your active Antivirus software to see if it helps fix the issue.

Most antivirus can be easily disabled from the antivirus icon in the system tray menu, by right-clicking it and selecting the Disable/Switch Off/ Shut Off button.

Enable Network Adapter In BIOS

You can also face this error when your network adapter is disabled in the BIOS. Sometimes, network adapters may get disabled automatically when you make changes to your computer.

So, check to make sure your NIC is enabled in the BIOS. Here’s how you can do so:

1. Turn off your PC.
2. Start your PC, and immediately press the F10 or Del key to enter the BIOS setup. (The keys or key combinations to enter BIOS setup may differ depending on your motherboard. Make sure to check with your computer manufacturer’s website.)
3. Go to System configuration.
4. Move the selection bar with the arrow keys and choose Boot Options.
5. Hit Enter.
6. Choose Internal Network Adapter Boot and press F5 to enable the NIC.
   
7. Disable and enable it again if it is already enabled.
8. Hit F10 to exit and save changes.
9. Select Yes.

The above-given steps are for the Intel BIOS setup. The steps may differ a little depending on your motherboard BIOS.

Update or Reinstall Network Driver

The network drivers facilitate the connection between the system and the network. So, if there are any issues with the network drivers, like your system using an old version of the driver or the driver getting corrupted, you may face various errors, including this one.

To fix this, you should try updating your network drivers first.

1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run box.
2. Enter devmgmt.msc to open Device Managers.
   
3. Double-click on Network Adapters and right-click on your network adapter driver.
4. Select Update driver.
   
5. Choose Search automatically for drivers.

If updating your network driver doesn’t help, you should try reinstalling it. Here’s how you can do so:

1. Open Device Manager and select your network adapter driver using the method above.
2. Right-click it.
3. Select Uninstall device and Uninstall.
   
4. Restart your computer.
5. After a restart, your system will automatically reinstall the driver.

Perform a Network Reset

If the above methods don’t work, you can try performing a network reset. Resetting your network will clear all saved data and change your network settings to their default configuration.

If misconfigured network settings were causing this error, performing a network reset will help eliminate it.

1. Press Windows + I hotkey to launch Settings.
2. Navigate to Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset.
   
3. Click on Reset Now and Yes.