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Forum Discussion
RobotBadGuy
Aug 07, 2021Aspirant
Nighthawk RAX80 No ethernet cable is plugged into the router internet port
Hi I purchased a Nighthawk RAX80 router and when trying to connect to internet im getting an error - 'no ethernet cable is plugged into the router internet port'. I've tried resetting & power cyc...
- Aug 08, 2021
RobotBadGuy wrote:
In your experience would this suggest a network reboot as you mentioned?
There is no harm in doing that. For some strange reason, some people think that Netgear is misguided when it tells people how to set up a router and the correct order for doing things.
RobotBadGuy wrote:
Sorry I forgot to reply to one of your questions. I am seeing this error when going through the wizard on the netgear app & also through the browser. So it basically goes through the motions and then at the end says no cables attached.
Those dratted wizards are sent to baffle us all. Have you tried the section in the manual for the RAX80 Manually Set Up the Internet Connection.
That would let you provide the login details for your Internet service which should deal with this bit:
RobotBadGuy wrote:
So if I plug my router into the modem with ethernet, the internet/ethernet icon on the router does not light up.
From what I have read here, there is something about NBN ISPs. They seem to like making their own "tweaks" to the settings. There are so many ISPs playing around that it can be hard to work out what to do. This can frustrate Netear's automated setup processes.
There have been so many questions here about NBN that your ISP's name may have come up in the past. You could try plugging your ISP's name into the Netgear community.
Here's a good place to start looking for local expertise:
It seems to be frequented by knowledgeable people and is hopefully free of the condescending types who turn up here with the specific aim of belittling everyone else. Apologies for that.
michaelkenward
Aug 07, 2021Guru - Experienced User
RobotBadGuy wrote:
Hi I purchased a Nighthawk RAX80 router and when trying to connect to internet im getting an error - 'no ethernet cable is plugged into the router internet port'.
How are you doing this? Wifi with an app or wired into the router? Wired is best.
Where do you see this error?
RobotBadGuy wrote:
Definitely not my ethernet cable as I'm still able to connect using my previous netgear router
Is the RAX80 connected to a modem? If so, what modem?
Remember, when replacing one device in a network you have to go through things on the right order.
As this is a router, there is probably a modem sitting in front of it. You need to get the devices to forget any inherited settings. Among other things, that means rebooting the network.
Power cuts usually take out both the modem and the router on a network. When the power comes back on, they may start up in the wrong order, with the router starting before the modem is ready. That means that they get confused about which is in charge.
It may help to reboot the whole network in the right order.
Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:
- Turn off and unplug modem.
- Turn off router and computers.
- Plug in and turn on modem. Wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
- Turn on the router and wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
- Turn on computers and rest of network.
You might get more help, and find earlier questions and answers specific to your RAX80 device, in the appropriate section for your hardware. That's probably here:
Nighthawk Routers with WiFi 6 (AX) - NETGEAR Communities
I will ask the Netgear moderator to move your message.
In the meantime you could visit the support pages:
Support | NETGEAR
Feed in your model number and check the documentation for your hardware. Look at the label on the device for the model number.
You may have done this already. I can't tell from your message.
I mention it because Netgear stopped supplying printed manuals and CD versions some years ago and people sometimes miss the downloads.
RobotBadGuy
Aug 08, 2021Aspirant
Hi Michael,
Sorry I forgot to reply to one of your questions. I am seeing this error when going through the wizard on the netgear app & also through the browser. So it basically goes through the motions and then at the end says no cables attached.
In summation it appears that the router can't connect directly to the modem (through direct wired connection) So if I plug my router into the modem with ethernet, the internet/ethernet icon on the router does not light up.
- The router ethernet port is working and I can use it as a range extender. (ethernet/internet icon lights up on router when connected to my old router)
In your experience would this suggest a network reboot as you mentioned?