How to fix Ethernet “Unidentified Network” error on Windows 10?

Question

Issue: How to fix Ethernet “Unidentified Network” error on Windows 10?

Hello. My Windows 10 PC is usually connected via Ethernet, but I had to switch to WiFi temporarily. After trying to reconnect via the Ethernet, the connection simply does not work – I get the “Unidentified Network” error instead. Any possible solutions for this?

Solved Answer

Internet connection issues can be extremely frustrating, as most of the activities users do via the computer are online, including paying bills, shopping, or watching a video stream. Therefore, if you have encountered connectivity issues, there is a great need to fix the “Unidentified Network” error as soon as possible.

Users with this problem typically first notice that something is wrong as soon as they try to load a page, and it simply does not work. After opening the Network and Sharing Center on a Windows computer, they can then see that the network connection between the PC and the internet is disrupted due to the Ethernet “Unidentified network.” Alternatively, users can also see that the network is not identified after clicking the internet connection icon via the system tray. This error is also often accompanied by a “Ethernet doesn't have a valid IP configuration” error.

In most cases, users experience the issue due to incorrect IP address configuration settings. Changes to these settings might not always be initiated manually by users but instead by other applications, for example. Therefore, if you used a VPN or similar software^[1] that changes the way you connect to the internet, it might be that your IP^[2] settings were changed, and that's why you are getting this error. Additionally, an overly protective third-party antivirus can be related to network connectivity issues.

How to fix Ethernet "Unidentified Network" error on Windows 10?

Ethernet “Unidentified network” error is not the only one that users face when dealing with internet connection issues. Other common errors are:

• One or more network protocols are missing
• Network error 0x800704cf
• Windows could not automatically detect this network's proxy settings
• etc.

Hence, if you encounter any of the above in conjunction with the issue you are experiencing, you can check the correlating articles that could help you fix the problems you are having.

In fact, it is very common to experience several errors at the same time on Windows machines. In some cases, the issue is underlying and has to be solved in order for the computer to operate normally. Therefore, if you are experiencing several problems with your PC, we highly recommend you try using FortectMac Washing Machine X9 to fix Ethernet “Unidentified network” and other errors on your device.

Fix 1. Diagnose connectivity problems with Network Troubleshooter

Built-in troubleshooters are very useful and, while they might not be able to fix issues every single time, they can easily point you in the right direction. Thus, start by running Network Troubleshooter:

• Right-click on Start and pick Settings
• Scroll down and pick Network & Internet
• On the right side, scroll down a bit and click Network Troubleshooter
• In the new window, pick Ethernet and click Next
• Wait for diagnostic results.

If Troubleshooter returns the diagnosis “Ethernet does not have a valid IP configuration,” proceed with the next step.

Fix 2. Temporarily disable Windows Firewall

• Type in Control Panel in Windows search and press Enter
• Here, click on System and Security and then select Windows Defender Firewall
• On the left, pick the Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off option
• Now select the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall for both Private and Public networks, and press OK.

Fix 3. Disable third-party antivirus

If you are experiencing network connectivity issues, a third-party security program installed on your computer might be the culprit of the problem. Therefore, you should temporarily disable the app and see if the internet connection via Ethernet comes back. If it does, you should contact the software vendor and consult what to do next. Alternatively, you can uninstall the anti-malware you are using and replace it with a different tool.

Fix 4. Reset TCP/IP via Command Prompt

Try setting network protocols to default:

• In Windows search bar, type in cmd
• Right-click on the Command Prompt result and pick Run as administrator
• Type in the following commands, pressing Enter after each:
  

  netsh winsock reset
  netsh int ip reset

• Restart your PC.

Fix 5. Renew the IP address via Command Prompt

If the above method did not help, go back to the Command Prompt with administrator's rights as explained above, and type in the following commands, pressing Enter after each:

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Fix 6. Reinstall Network adapter drivers

If drivers^[3] start malfunctioning, you might face various issues. Thus, you should reinstall Network adapter drivers (or rather replace them with the newest version):

Note: if you can't connect to the internet via Ethernet, use a WiFi connection. Alternatively, you can create a hotspot via your phone. You can also download the driver on another device with a working internet connection and then transfer it over to your PC.

• Right-click on Start and pick Device Manager
• Expand Network adapters
• Right-click on your network adapter you are using and select Uninstall driver
• Click Uninstall once again
• Reboot your computer
• After a reboot, launch Device Manager again
• At the top of the window, press Scan for hardware changes.

If you don't want to bother with manual driver updates, we recommend trying an automatic solution – DriverFix. You can create automatic backups in case something goes wrong (hence never suffer from incompatibility issues) and never have to bother with manual driver updates again.

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