--- title: Connect a Computer by Ethernet and Confirm It Is Wired url: https://hdiss.net/support/computer-ethernet-connection/ business: High Desert Internet Services (HDISS) phone: 775-575-9593, 775-391-5660 email: info@hdiss.net mailing_address: Home base: 200 S Virginia St, Suite 760, Reno NV 89501 (dispatch office, not a walk-in store). Mail: Billing Dept., PO Box 11353, Reno NV 89510 hours: Office open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, seven days a week. Network watched around the clock. type: Fixed wireless internet service provider (homes and small businesses), web hosting, customer email, domain registration service_area: Northern Nevada - Washoe, Lyon, Storey, Churchill and Douglas counties and Carson City; availability is checked address by address (line of sight to a tower) plans: Bronze $50/mo up to 500 Mbps down, up to 200 Mbps up; Silver $75/mo up to 800 down, up to 200 up; Gold $99/mo up to 1 Gig down, up to 200 up; ask about the up to 1 Gig / 1 Gig ultra-low-latency service no_online_purchase: true (check your address or call; existing customers pay at https://www2.fernley.net/hdiss/onlinepay/paymentform.cfm) since: 2002 --- - [Home](https://hdiss.net/) - [Help center](https://hdiss.net/support/) - Connect a computer by Ethernet and confirm it is wired Help center / General # Connect a computer by Ethernet and confirm it is wired Plug one end of an Ethernet cable into a LAN port on your router and the other into the computer, then open the network status screen and look for Ethernet, not Wi-Fi. A wired test shows what the High Desert line delivers without Wi-Fi. Never plug the cable into the injector port that leads to the outdoor radio. [Call 775-575-9593](tel:7755759593) [Call 775-391-5660](tel:7753915660) [Webmail](https://hdissmail.hdiss.net/mail/) [Pay Online](https://www2.fernley.net/hdiss/onlinepay/paymentform.cfm) A Wi-Fi router on a shelf. Stock photo: Adobe Stock. [Photo credits](https://hdiss.net/photo-credits/) A cable removes the home Wi-Fi from every test. That is why we ask for one on a speed test or a support call. The steps are short, but the screens differ between Windows and Mac. We did not read a Microsoft or Apple page for this task, so the menu names below are generic. ## Steps - Pick the right port on the router The router has one internet or WAN port and several LAN ports. The High Desert cable from the injector is already in the WAN port. Use a LAN port for the computer. - Plug in both ends A click means the plug is seated. If the laptop has no Ethernet port, a USB or USB-C adapter adds one. - Turn Wi-Fi off This stops the computer using both. On Windows use the Wi-Fi switch in Settings. On a Mac use the Wi-Fi menu. - Open the network status On Windows 11, open Settings, then Network and internet. The top shows Ethernet if it is wired. On a Mac, open System Settings, then Network, and look for Ethernet in the list with a green dot. - Check that the status says connected If it says unplugged or no cable, try another LAN port and another cable. - Browse a site Open a page you have not visited today. - Run your test now Use [how to run a speed test](https://hdiss.net/guides/how-to-run-a-speed-test/). Plan speeds are listed as up to figures, and a wired reading shows what the computer can get. ## Why does the cable matter for a speed test? Wi-Fi has its own limits: distance, walls and neighbors. A cable takes those out, so the reading reflects the line and the router. If the cable reading is good and Wi-Fi is poor, the fix is in the house. The guide [internet is fine but Wi-Fi is slow](https://hdiss.net/guides/internet-fine-but-wifi-slow/) goes through it. ## What cable do I need? Any ordinary Ethernet cable works for home use. A short one is easiest to test with. Do not use the cable that runs to the outdoor radio, and do not unplug it. ## The computer says connected but there is no internet. Restart the router and the injector in order, then try again; [restarting your equipment](https://hdiss.net/support/restart-your-equipment/) lists the order. If other devices on Wi-Fi are also offline, use [the five checks](https://hdiss.net/support/no-internet-five-checks/). ## Do I need to go outside or touch the antenna for this? Keep your feet on the ground while you do this. A problem at the antenna or the radio is a phone call, not a climb. ### Sources - [support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows) (Microsoft Windows support; no single page was read for this task, so the menu names are generic) - [support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/welcome/mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/welcome/mac) (Apple, Mac User Guide; menu names generic) ### Talk to a person - Call [775-575-9593](tel:7755759593) [775-391-5660](tel:7753915660) Open 9-5 every day - Email [info@hdiss.net](mailto:info@hdiss.net) [Check my address](https://hdiss.net/check-availability/#check) ### Related help - [How to run a speed test the right way](https://hdiss.net/guides/how-to-run-a-speed-test/) - [Ethernet for the things that matter](https://hdiss.net/guides/ethernet-for-the-things-that-matter/) - [The internet is fine but the Wi-Fi is slow: how to tell](https://hdiss.net/guides/internet-fine-but-wifi-slow/) - [Restart your equipment in the right order](https://hdiss.net/support/restart-your-equipment/) - [No internet: five checks before you call](https://hdiss.net/support/no-internet-five-checks/) - [Contact support](https://hdiss.net/support/contact-support/) ## More general [Set up a new router](https://hdiss.net/support/set-up-a-new-router/) [Open a port or get a static IP](https://hdiss.net/support/open-a-port-or-static-ip/) [Contact support](https://hdiss.net/support/contact-support/) [Chromebook Wi-Fi and Ethernet: connect and troubleshoot](https://hdiss.net/support/computer-chromebook-network/) [Windows 11 Wi-Fi keeps dropping](https://hdiss.net/support/computer-windows-11-wifi-drops/) [Mac Wi-Fi keeps dropping](https://hdiss.net/support/computer-mac-wifi-drops/) ## Related questions ### Does the cable need a special type? No for home. ### Can I use a powerline adapter? Yes, as an alternative. ### Is a wired device faster? Often steadier. ## Call us. A person answers. 775-575-9593 and 775-391-5660, 9 to 5 every day. Email [info@hdiss.net](mailto:info@hdiss.net). Never climb to the antenna or touch the outdoor radio; that is our job.