Laptop network card unable to work, can I use a USB adapter instead?

[gmirakis]

Apparently the network card in my laptop is not working and after removing it and testing it with another one that used to work I realised that maybe it wasn't a motherboard problem.

So I looked at the cables and realised that the white one was a little torn. Problem is, that since my laptop's model is Acer aspire v3-571g, that cable leads to the screen, and since screens are expensive and I'm not quite sure what's the process of replacing that cable, I decided to look for alternatives.

Luckily for me I got a TP-LINK TL-WN8200ND usb network adapter, but I can't find a way to use it without the network card, even though I could do it before, when the network card was working.

Is there any way around or should I seek for replacing that cable?

Edit: On Windows 7 connecting through the usb adapter is working quite fine, unlike 10. That's odd...

 

[velocityg4]

Try downloading the driver from TP-Link. Then remove the card from the laptop. Plug in your USB adapter. Run the installer from TP-Link. Also check if the card is listed in Network and Sharing Center in the control panel

 

[bill001g]

In many cases the antenna is not part of the actual screen it can be replaced separately but still involves disassembly. There likely is a youtube video on your model or one very similar so you can see what is inside so you can tell if it is worth it.

Still the USB option should be easier. As mentioned above it is likely a driver issue. Windows can be very stubborn at times when it has multiple devices. Since it has already worked that means the win7 driver works on win10 so at least that is one good thing.