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New Windows 11 Professional PC not recognized by router with wired ethernet connection?

Anonymous
2023-08-01T21:51:59+00:00

Recently, I replaced a down workstation with a new machine that uses Windows 11 Professional, the old system used Windows 10 Home and had no issues with being detected by my network and internet devices. Our setup consists of a cable modem and a standalone router. The older machine was detected without issue as a Wired connection type as well as the PC Credentials for the purpose of device management and port forwarding. This new machine only shows up if I use a Wifi adapter and even then, it won't show in the router tab, it only shows when I choose the show all option on the router web ui. Additionally, it shows the device as disconnected.

Strangely however, I do have full access to the net using the wired and wifi connections.

The problem:

I need the router to see the new machine's credentials and connection type in order to establish the port forwarding rules for the machine.

Some observations and background:

Initially, when I set the machine up and connected the ethernet cable, Microsoft Windows was putting a driver for the Realtek adapter that was causing mayhem, the computer would start up, allow internet for around 5 minutes, and then shut the adapter off which had to be reset or rebooted for a temporary fix. Originally, I thought it may be an issue with the power plan, maybe the power settings were shutting off the adapter, but even with that disabled, it continued. After troubleshooting the settings and following numerous steps to fix the issue we determined that the driver it must have been using was incorrect so we went to Realtek.com and downloaded the Windows 11 automatic installation kit and the results were stable uninterrupted internet connection which solved part of the problem, but the router not recognizing the PC and router connection remains an issue.

When I say we tried everything, we followed every single step we could find here and in other technical forums, including contacting Realtek.com technical support, and we still have not managed to fix this. We even went as far as getting Spectrum involved who couldn't troubleshoot it either by customer service and tech support, or by sending a technician out to my studio who even replaced the old router with a new one. This leads me to a few possible culprits:

#1. Windows 11 Professional has a setting or settings that must be changed in order for this to work.

#2. Windows 11 Professional has a broken installation and may need a complete reinstall.

#3. The Realtek PCIe GbE Ethernet Adapter driver is the wrong one.

Additiional testing notes:

  • Replaced ethernet cable with known working ethernet cable.
  • Replaced the router.
  • Followed all instructions for flushing the dns, resetting, etc.
  • Reset Network had no affect.

As someone who's been working on systems for over 30 years professionally, I've been stumped only a handful of times, and this one has me scratching my head. If anyone could help me solve this, it would be highly appreciated as this machine is vital for my workflow and I need it desperately.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Settings

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-08-02T09:08:19+00:00

    Hi

    Welcome to Microsoft community.

    It sounds like you've already taken a thorough approach to troubleshooting the issue. Since you've ruled out many common factors, I'll provide a few more steps you can try to diagnose and potentially resolve the problem of your new Windows 11 Professional PC not being recognized by your router with a wired Ethernet connection:

    1. Driver Update and Reinstallation:
      • While you mentioned that you installed the Realtek Ethernet driver, it's worth double-checking if there are any updated drivers available from the motherboard manufacturer's website. Sometimes, motherboard-specific drivers can help ensure compatibility.
    2. Static IP Configuration:
      • Try assigning a static IP address to your Windows 11 PC. This can sometimes help in situations where automatic IP assignment is causing issues. Configure the static IP within the Windows network settings and ensure it's within the same subnet as your router.
    3. Network Reset:
      • Open the Windows 11 "Settings" app.
      • Go to "Network & internet" > "Status."
      • Scroll down and click on "Network reset."
      • Follow the prompts to reset your network settings. This will remove and reinstall all network adapters and reset your network settings to their default.
    4. Driver Uninstallation and Clean Install:
      • Uninstall the Realtek Ethernet driver completely.
      • Reboot your computer.
      • Install the latest driver you downloaded from Realtek or your motherboard manufacturer's website.
    5. Network Troubleshooter:
      • Run the built-in Network Troubleshooter in Windows 11:
        1. Right-click on the network icon in the system tray.
        2. Select "Troubleshoot problems."
        3. Follow the prompts to let Windows attempt to diagnose and fix network issues.
    6. Consider Another Network Adapter:
      • If the issue persists, you might consider getting a separate Ethernet PCIe adapter (a different brand) and installing it in your PC. This can help determine if the issue is specifically related to the Realtek adapter.
    7. Try a Different Router or Connection:
      • If possible, try connecting your PC to a different router or network to see if the issue persists. This can help narrow down whether the problem is related to the PC or the network.

    Remember that network-related issues can be complex, and the solution might require a combination of steps.

    Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates, thanks.

    Best regards

    Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-08-04T01:04:17+00:00

    Hi

    Thanks for your reply.

    The issue of how to figure out how to tell Windows 11 Pro to pass on the credentials and information of the PC to the router is out of reach of the response support community. It is more suitable for publishing on Microsoft Learn, you can click on "Ask a question", there are experts who can provide more professional solutions in that place.  Here is a link to the forum where you can raise specific scenarios and share your idea to help solve the problem.I won't be able to help you, but I'll leave that question open in case one of our amazing volunteers has ideas for you.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-08-02T17:23:54+00:00

    I appreciate the response and I've all but ruled out all of those extra steps with the exception of just one, and that's replacing the adapter. This workstation runs an Intel Xeon E5 2699 v3 Mobo with on board ethernet and I believe it only has (1) PCIe 4 slot available on the board. Short of settling and ordering a ethernet to usb adapter, there's no viable way to really try a different adapter. The thing is, the net works great, perfectly in fact, haven't had a single problem with speeds or connectivity. Granted, I'm not using the driver Windows insisted on using after a clean install of the adapter and drivers.

    The only real issue left is figuring out how to tell Windows 11 pro to pass on the credentials and information of the PC to the router so the router can add it to it's device list and allow me access to the port forwarding.

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