I'm having trouble getting my Windows 11 PC to connect to the internet using an Ethernet cable. My router works fine since other devices like my phone and Xbox can connect without issues. I've reset my PC, but it keeps showing an error message: "A problem has occurred and no changes have been made." I'm starting to think it might be a hardware issue or something else inside the computer. I've tried various troubleshooting methods, but nothing has worked so far. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
For troubleshooting, it's essential to know if Windows recognizes your Ethernet device. Check the light on the device—does it show a connection? You might also want to run "ipconfig" in the command line to see your device's configuration. Can you ping the router? Also, what happens when you run "Diagnose Network Problems" from the system tray? That might give us more clues.
Has this computer never been able to connect with an Ethernet cable? Or did it work before? I see you mentioned that it stopped working about two weeks ago. Can you give us a bit more info about what happens when you try to connect?
It did connect before, but it just randomly stopped a couple of weeks ago.
Have you tried uninstalling the Ethernet driver from Device Manager? After you do that, restart your PC—Windows should automatically reinstall the driver for you.
I gave that a shot, but unfortunately, it didn't help.
Quick tip: Check if the system time is correct on your PC. Sometimes, incorrect settings can cause connectivity issues. Also, consider doing a Network Reset in Windows settings. If that doesn't work, your Ethernet adapter or cable might be faulty.
Make sure you don't have a static IP address set on your network adapter. You should be obtaining it through DHCP. You can also try using Google's or Cloudflare's DNS addresses, but it sounds like you've already done that. Did you set your adapter back to obtain an IP address automatically?
Yes, it’s set to obtain an IP address automatically. I tried different DNS addresses and reverted to automatic, but those haven't worked either.
Yes, Windows does recognize the Ethernet is plugged in, and the light is on, but it only sometimes shows it's linked. Also, Windows occasionally says my internet speed is 300 GB/s, which is obviously not accurate.