The best way to connect to the Internet if we want maximum speed is to do it through the router with an Ethernet cable. It is not always the most comfortable but it is a recommended option. But what if it doesn't work? We explain what are the steps you should follow if the router does not detect the Ethernet cable.
Although calling the technician to fix it is always the easiest route if you don't know anything about a router or fiber, there are times when it is not necessary. A few basic checks may be enough to fix the problem without help. The first thing we must test is what is failing. We can check the plug of the router, we can see if the problem is in the cable… And once we see where the error is, we can fix it.
Try another jack
The first thing we can do in these cases is try another plug. If it doesn't detect the Ethernet cable you just plugged it into, the first step is to try another. It may just be that that plug is damaged and doesn't work, but the others are perfectly fine. It will only take a few seconds to verify this. Surely it is one of the first options that have occurred to you.
Check the wire
The problem may not be with the plug itself but with the cable. If changing the plug does not work either and the router does not detect the Ethernet cable, change the cable. We usually have more than one per house so this will not be a problem. Connect another cable to the different pins and see if it works or not.
There are specific devices that allow us to check if a network cable is in good condition or if it is broken. We can find them on Amazon for less than 10 or 15 euros and it can be useful to have one at home. But it is not usual that we have it if we do not dedicate ourselves to something related to it. You also don't need to buy it if you think you're not going to use it again. We just need to test the cable on other devices to see if the problem was with the cable. For example, connect it to the computer and to the Internet socket. Or to the Smart TV. Check if cable internet works. If not, you know it's failing.
Crimp the wire
It is not a method available to everyone but it is another option that you can consider. Not all of us have a crimper at home but crimping the cable can be the solution if the router does not detect it or there is some problem that is causing the failure at that moment. You can crimp the two ends to see if this solves the error and the Ethernet cable starts to work correctly.
Of course, it is not an advisable process if you do not know how to do it or if you do not have patience, since it requires minimal knowledge and may not be worth the effort. In addition, we need to have a crimper on hand and it is not a device that everyone has at home. If you don't have anyone in your environment who knows the procedure or you feel able to follow the instructions, maybe you should skip this section and try the next one.
Change the wire
If you know that it is the cable and you should try another one and buy it, you have to keep some fundamental aspects in mind. The first thing you should keep in mind is that we must bet on quality network cables. Or renew them if the ones you have at home have been with you for many years. Not all cables are the same and have categories. Not all allow us the maximum contracted speed, for example. Look for one that has a sufficient rating and is current, reliable, and supports up to 1000 Mbps.
Depending on the one you choose, it has maximum speeds and one or the other frequencies. So it is important that you renew your cables and look at the features and specifications before choosing one. It's not worth anyone. His thing is that, in case it is broken, bet on a CAT 6A or higher Ethernet cable. The previous categories are already deprecated and could give you problems.
Contact your operator
If none of the above works, there may be an error in the router or simply that there is a fault that you do not know how to solve or that you cannot fix. In this case, we must contact the customer service of the company that we have contracted and notify us that there is a fault in our router. It may not depend on the technician but he will come to our home to see what happens. Maybe they can guide us to repair it. If not, they will send a technician in the following days. The technician will see where the fault is and will fix it. In case there is no solution after all, they could replace your router with a new one. Keep something in mind: your operator's technician will be in charge of fixing everything that goes from the central unit to the router. But not everything that goes from the router to your devices.
