Bob Rockefeller

Q: Mac Pro does not recognize Ethernet ports

After a reboot for my late 2013 Mac Pro running OS X 10.11.3, both Ethernet ports are no longer recognized. Both say "Not Connected" although one of them is.

 

I have:

  • rebooted a couple of times
  • reset PRAM
  • left the power disconnected for several minutes
  • tried two different end devices
  • tried two different Ethernet cables
  • tried both Ethernet ports

 

The indicator light on the end device flashes.

 

WiFi works fine.

 

What else should I do before deciding there's a hardware problem?

 

Bob

Mac Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Feb 27, 2016 8:42 AM

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Q: Mac Pro does not recognize Ethernet ports

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  • by Kappy,Solvedanswer

    Kappy Kappy Feb 27, 2016 8:50 AM in response to Bob Rockefeller
    Level 10 (271,184 points)
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    Feb 27, 2016 8:50 AM in response to Bob Rockefeller

    There was a recent post of the same problem and a solution was found. Give it a try: Re- Built-in ethernet vanished.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 27, 2016 9:16 AM in response to Kappy
    Level 9 (60,976 points)
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    Feb 27, 2016 9:16 AM in response to Kappy

    If you have trouble following that thread, it looks like the movie version is:

     

    there has been a driver that was deemed "BAD" in certain 10.11.3 automatic updates. It has since been straightened out.

     

    --------

    There are several high-tech solutions offered on that thread that involve manipulating internal Mac OS X items I would not be comfortable changing, and/or manually re-Installing old Drivers.

     

    >> To fix your own problem, I recommend instead: download and apply (manually) the 10.11.3 combo update. The most current version is found in a link off this article:

     

    [Description of] Download OS X El Capitan 10.11.3 Combo Update

     

     

    .

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Feb 27, 2016 9:45 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 10 (271,184 points)
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    Feb 27, 2016 9:45 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    I would have suggested that, but wasn't sure if the Combo fixed the problem. Seems this has become an oft posted problem recently.

  • by BobRockefeller,

    BobRockefeller BobRockefeller Feb 27, 2016 12:23 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 27, 2016 12:23 PM in response to Kappy

    Thanks, that did indeed fix it after a trip in the way back machine to remember my CLI "skills." Too bad I read the suggestion about the combo update too late. I'll wait until it breaks again and the do the combo update if I have to.

  • by LCohen,

    LCohen LCohen Feb 27, 2016 1:21 PM in response to BobRockefeller
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 27, 2016 1:21 PM in response to BobRockefeller

    I was just about to post about this very subject when I saw this topic.  My issue is the same.  I spent a better part of this morning troubleshooting as to why I don't have ethernet on my 2013 Mac Pro.  My wifi works fine, but I don't want to use wifi, I want to use my ethernet connection.  I'll try the suggestions about replacing the the bad kext file.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 27, 2016 3:48 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 9 (60,976 points)
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    Feb 27, 2016 3:48 PM in response to Kappy

    I don't have anything scientific, just my own anecdote.

     

    I ran a new version of EtreCheck. It listed several extensions that were "not authorized" or some such designation. They looked like authentic parts of Mac OS X to my eye. I did not take careful notice of what they were.

     

    My conclusion (not quite accurate) was that the Software Update to Mac OS X 10.11.3 had somehow gone astray, and had damaged a few components. So I searched for, downloaded, and ran the combo update. Running EtreCheck again showed the list of things that were "not authorized" had disappeared.

     

    I believe my pre-disposition to run the Combo update when I thought the software Update process may have gone astray comes from Kappy 's frequent recommendations to dozens of Users running different versions of Mac OS X who were having difficulties.

     

    Later, when you posted that thread showing the Ethernet extension had been mistakenly placed on the BlackList, (but is was fixed now)  the natural solution seemed to be to run the combo update. But I could not run a valid experiment because I had already destroyed the evidence.

  • by lllaass,

    lllaass lllaass Feb 28, 2016 1:36 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 10 (189,021 points)
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    Feb 28, 2016 1:36 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder