Ethernet cable stuck in LAN port

[irritated_also]

This is a RIDICULOUS design!!!  After 30+ minutes tinkering around (and almost breaking a fingernail!!!) to unplug my ethenet cable stuck in the port, I was successful using needle-nosed pliers.  Now, the big question is:  do I now need to carry needle-nosed pliers with me and my laptop whenever I travel?  And, are they allowed by the TSA? 

[David_J_W]

It is very difficult for anyone to engage meaningfully with your comments because you haven't said what model of computer you are talking about.

Some RJ45 plugs do not work well in certain sockets - this is an issue that can affect patch panels and wall plates as well as devices.

[irritated_also]

I am using a brand new (1st time using) HP Elitebook 840 G3.  The ethernet port has a flap with a spring-loaded hinge to hold the cable VERY tightly.  I've never seen anything like it before!  The only way I could remove the cable was using needle-nose pliers to clamp down on the plastic locking clip/tab of the cable plug, with the full cable plug itself, and then pulling. 

[David_J_W]

I'm a little surprised at anyone getting an EliteBook 840 G3 new today, as this model is now a couple of generations old. However, I believe some organisations are in long term purchase arrangements for these older systems because they are the last generation of notebooks with official support for Windows 7.

The 'hinged flap' arrangement is a consequence of the move to slimline form factors; there simply isn't room for a full depth RJ45 socket on the outside edge of many modern notebooks without such a flap. HP seem quite fond of the hinged flap on many of their designs. Other approaches include putting the RJ45 socket in a dongle (Lenovo use this on some of their slimmer notebooks) or BIOS support for a USB Ethernet dongle (type A and/or USB-C, depending on the model) rather than making use of the chipset's Ethernet controller.

'Hinged flap' type ports tend to get horrendously jammed with 'snagless boot' type cables (the type of cable where the boot plastic aims to prevent the latch from being broken or damaged). If you stick to cables with conventional boots and inspect them to make sure that the full length of the latch is present before use, you should be able to remove the cable by depressing the latch. If the cable won't release when you have depressed the latch as far as you can, sometimes very gently pressing the plug into the socket to remove force from the latch can help, but you must only press gently to avoid damaging the contacts in the socket.

If you cannot depress the latch with your finger, a small thin tool should be sufficient to depress and release the latch. You might get away with something like a plastic toothpick from a Swiss Army Knife (I never use mine on my teeth, but they have a myriad of other uses), otherwise you can use a small screwdriver such as a jeweller's screwdriver. I'd be surprised if pliers were needed other than possibly to remove a stuck snagless boot cable.

I detest the hinged flap sockets, but dongles (either USB or connected to the chipset Ethernet controller) are not without their issues. If the hinged flap really is too much for you, HP's USB 3.0 Ethernet adapter is inexpensive. Your BIOS might lack support for pre-boot use of the USB Ethernet controller on your system, but you almost certainly don't need that capability in everyday use.

[inmy]

I also have same issue like you in the office. We ordered 15 x HP Elitebook 840 G3 27th Sep. 2018, because our company should use Windows 7 Enterprise OS.

Actually we have another 17 x HP Elitebook 840 G3 laptops which were ordered at different date, but they didn't have this kind of ethernet cable stuck issue.

Whenver we try to unplug the network cable (RJ-45 cable from Cisco), we have to use the needle nose pliers to open more the Ethernet port flat, becuase the ethernet port flat was too much tight.

Please let me know how to fix this issue on 15 x HP Elitebook 840 G3 models.

[RC43]

HP EliteBook 745 G5

This is a company issued LapTop and I am not the only one with this issue.  It's virtually impossible to remove.  After sometimes 15-30 minutes of struggling, it will eventually pop out.  Not sure how or why?  Is there a trick?

[qhaas]

My HP EliteBook 745 G5 has difficulty detaching from some Ethernet cables.  I tried without tools for nearly 10 minutes, but the cable would not detach.  I ended up using a small, flat-head screw driver to detach it.  Some cables are better than others.  I've never had this problem with other Ethernet ports, even on other (older) HP laptops, and I've worked in the IT industry for a while.  I suspect this is due to the port itself not being full-sized (i.e. it retracts when a cable is removed).

As the other poster said above, hopefully the TSA allows one to carry an eyeglass repair kit with one on the plane...

[rolltiderusty]

My office uses these 840 G3 laptops as well. We use the Ethernet port primarily for the imaging of these laptops. Remove the rear plate to get them loose. I expect them to get stuck every time.  When I called HP business support they were unaware of the problem. Which is unacceptable since this post is on their website. Just remove the rear plate. All the other suggestions are risky at best, and still ineffective most of the time.