How to fix ethernet "Unidentified Network" I've tried everything I've found on the internet

Question

How to fix ethernet "Unidentified Network" I've tried everything I've found on the internet

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Anonymous

My ethernet seems to randomly disconnect after working for a while. The WiFi still works for me and all other devices in the house. The ethernet works for all other devices in the house except mine. I've tried switching ethernet cables multiple times, and they work for a few hours but eventually stop working and give the same "Unidentified Network" error.

Additional information that may be helpful:

Airplane Mode is off
What DOES work sometimes is plugging ethernet into a different cable somewhere else in the house, and then coming back to my ethernet cable. This seems to be a temporary fix because in a couple weeks it randomly disconnects again.
To my knowledge, I have no third party antivirus software installed.

I've tried using the following settings in Command Prompt multiple times:

netsh int ip reset

netsh advfirewall reset

netsh winsock reset

ipconfig /flushdns

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

Here's everything else I've found through my days of troubleshooting:

Resetting network adapters to factory settings causes Blue Screen of Death
Ethernet Driver is up to date, according to Windows automatic driver search
Ethernet still gives "Unidentified Network" when Windows is booted in Safe Mode with Network
Manually inputting the DNS and IP settings in device
Running the Network and Internet troubleshooter gives the error: "This file does not have an app associated with it for performing this action. Please install an app or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Apps Settings page."

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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2 answers

Answer 1

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft community.

It seems like you have already tried many troubleshooting steps, but let's go through some additional solutions that may help fix the "Unidentified Network" issue with your Ethernet connection:

Disable IPv6: Some users have reported that disabling IPv6 can resolve the issue. To do this, go to the Network and Sharing Center, click on your Ethernet connection, and then click on Properties. Uncheck the box next to "Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)" and click OK.
Update Ethernet driver manually: Although you mentioned that the driver is up to date, it's worth trying to update it manually. Visit the manufacturer's website for your Ethernet adapter and download the latest driver for your specific model. Install the driver and restart your computer.
Disable power-saving mode for the Ethernet adapter: Sometimes, the power-saving feature can cause issues with the Ethernet connection. To disable it, go to the Device Manager, expand the Network Adapters section, right-click on your Ethernet adapter, select Properties, and go to the Power Management tab. Uncheck the box that says "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" and click OK.
Reset TCP/IP stack: Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands one by one:
```
 netsh winsock reset 

 netsh int ip reset 

 ipconfig /release 

 ipconfig /renew 

 ipconfig /flushdns 
```
After executing these commands, restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved.
Disable any VPN or proxy: If you are using a VPN or proxy service, try disabling it temporarily and see if the Ethernet connection works without it. Some VPNs and proxies can interfere with the network settings and cause connectivity issues.
Check for malware: Run a full scan with your antivirus software to ensure that there are no malware or viruses causing the issue. Additionally, you can use other reputable malware removal tools to perform a thorough scan.

If the problem persists, it is not ruled out that the random disconnection is caused by a hardware problem, you can try to plug in an external network card to check whether any hardware failure is caused by your current computer network card.

If none of these solutions works, it might be worth considering contacting your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to investigate the issue further.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates, thanks.

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 2

Meanwhile I found the solution myself. It´s described on this website:

Windows: OpenVPN Unidentified Network fix - VPN Troubleshooting — VPNSecure

Good luck!

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How to fix ethernet "Unidentified Network" I've tried everything I've found on the internet

2 answers