# How to Fix Ethernet Not Working in Windows 11

URL: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-ethernet-not-working-windows-11/
Published: 2026-05-25 | Updated: 2026-08-10 | Author: Ankit Kumar
Tags: Windows 11, Network, Fix, Troubleshooting
Summary: Wired internet dead but Wi-Fi works? Check the cable and link lights, reset the adapter, reinstall Ethernet drivers, and fix DHCP on Windows 11.
Recommended app: Network Traffic Monitor & Analyzer — https://www.mytechnician.tech/apps/network-monitor/ (Microsoft Store: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9NGCWN2BKVSC?hl=en-us&cid=mytechnician-web). Optional; every step below uses built-in Windows tools.

## The Problem
You plug in a Cat5e or Cat6 cable and Windows shows **Unidentified network**, **No internet**, or the port behaves as if nothing is connected—while Wi-Fi works fine. Wired should be the most reliable connection you have. When it is not, the cause is usually the physical link, a disabled adapter, the driver, or DHCP.

> **Wi-Fi problems instead?** See [can't connect to this network](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-cant-connect-to-this-network-windows-11/), [No Internet, secured](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-no-internet-secured-wifi/), or [slow Wi-Fi speeds](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-slow-wifi-speeds-windows-11/).

## Step 1: Read the Link Lights
The two small LEDs beside the RJ45 port answer the first question before you touch Windows.

* **No lights at all** → there is no electrical link. The problem is the cable, the port, or the adapter—not Windows. Nothing in Settings will help.
* **Lights on but no internet** → the link is up and the fault is in Windows or the network configuration. Skip to Step 3.

With no lights:

1. Push the plug in until the latch clicks audibly at both ends.
2. Try a **different, known-good cable**. Cables fail more often than anything else here, and a damaged one can still look perfect.
3. Try a **different LAN port** on the router or switch.
4. Test the cable and port with another device.
5. For a USB Ethernet adapter, plug it directly into the PC, not a hub.

## Step 2: Check the Negotiated Speed
Open **Settings** → **Network & internet** → **Ethernet** and look at **Link speed**.

A gigabit connection showing **100/100 (Mbps)** means only two of the four cable pairs are working—almost always a damaged cable or a badly crimped connector. Replace the cable. This is worth checking even when everything "works", because it silently caps your throughput.

## Step 3: Enable the Adapter
1. `Win + R` → `ncpa.cpl`.
2. If **Ethernet** is greyed out, right-click → **Enable**.
3. If there is no Ethernet entry at all, the driver is missing—go to Step 6.

## Step 4: Check the IP Configuration
```cmd
ipconfig /all
```

* **169.254.x.x** → DHCP never answered. Restart the router; if other devices work, the port or the cable is at fault.
* **A normal 192.168.x.x address with a gateway** → the connection is fine and the problem is DNS. See [DNS server not responding](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-dns-server-not-responding-windows-11/).
* **A static address left over from another network** → set it back to automatic in Step 5.

## Step 5: Reset the Stack and DHCP
In **Terminal (Admin)**:

```cmd
netsh winsock reset
```
```cmd
netsh int ip reset
```
```cmd
ipconfig /release
```
```cmd
ipconfig /renew
```
```cmd
ipconfig /flushdns
```

Restart the PC—`netsh winsock reset` does not apply until you do.

Then confirm DHCP: `ncpa.cpl` → **Ethernet** → **Properties** → **Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)** → **Properties** → **Obtain an IP address automatically** and **Obtain DNS server address automatically**, unless your workplace issued a static address.

## Step 6: Reinstall the Driver
1. **Device Manager** → **Network adapters** → find the Realtek, Intel, or Killer Ethernet device.
2. Right-click → **Uninstall device**, then restart.
3. If Windows does not restore it, install the driver from the **motherboard or laptop maker's** support page. Download it on another device first, since you have no wired connection to fetch it with.
4. Avoid generic driver-updater bundles—for network hardware they routinely install a mismatched package.

Realtek adapters in particular often work better with the vendor's own driver than the one Windows Update supplies.

## Step 7: Turn Off Power Saving and Green Ethernet
Two settings that cause a link to drop after sleep or under load.

1. **Device Manager** → the Ethernet adapter → **Properties** → **Power Management** → untick **Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power**.
2. **Advanced** tab → set **Energy Efficient Ethernet** and **Green Ethernet** to **Disabled** if present.
3. On the same tab, if the link is unstable, try setting **Speed & Duplex** to a fixed **1.0 Gbps Full Duplex** rather than **Auto Negotiation**—occasionally a switch and adapter fail to agree.

## Step 8: Remove Virtual Adapter Interference
VPN clients, VirtualBox, VMware, and Hyper-V all add virtual adapters that can capture routes.

1. `ncpa.cpl` → disable any TAP, VPN, or virtual adapters you are not using.
2. Disconnect any VPN and test.
3. Check the routing table for leftovers:

```cmd
route print
```

## Step 9: Network Reset
**Settings** → **Network & internet** → **Advanced network settings** → **Network reset** → **Reset now**.

This removes and reinstalls every adapter. You will need to rejoin Wi-Fi networks and reinstall VPN clients afterwards.

## Still Dead?
* **No link lights with three different cables and two ports** → the onboard network chip has failed. A USB Ethernet adapter costs very little and works immediately; it is a perfectly reasonable permanent solution.
* **Works on another network but not yours** → the router port, a VLAN configuration, or the ISP's equipment. Call the ISP and quote the link-light status.
* **Everything worked until a Windows update** → roll it back: [fix Windows 11 after a bad update](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-windows-11-after-bad-update-rollback/).

Related: [fix high ping and packet loss](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-fix-high-ping-windows-11/) and [speed up a slow internet connection](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/speed-up-slow-internet-connection-windows-11/).

---
Source: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-ethernet-not-working-windows-11/ — My Technician, free Windows 10/11 troubleshooting guides.
Related tool: Network Traffic Monitor & Analyzer (Network Traffic Monitor & Analyzer shows real-time bandwidth usage, active connections, and per-app network traffic on Windows 10 and 11.) — https://www.mytechnician.tech/apps/network-monitor/
More guides: https://www.mytechnician.tech/llms.txt