Yesterday, while I was gaming on my PC, the power briefly flickered. I can't use Wi-Fi and rely entirely on Ethernet. After the flicker, my wired connection stopped working, but changing the DNS to 8.8.8.8 temporarily brought it back. It worked for a few hours, failed again, and the same DNS change helped once more. Now the connection constantly shifts between unstable speeds, almost no speed, and normal performance, and changing DNS no longer fixes it. I've already tried several troubleshooting steps. Could the power fluctuation have affected the router, Ethernet adapter, cable, or another part of the connection?
3 Answers
The DNS change probably didn’t repair the Ethernet connection itself. It may have forced a network reset or temporarily bypassed a DNS problem. Since the issue began immediately after a power fluctuation, test the router first, then try another Ethernet cable and another LAN port. If possible, connect the PC directly to a different network to see whether the problem follows the computer.
Don’t rule out hardware damage completely. A voltage spike or brownout can affect the router’s Ethernet circuitry, the PC’s network adapter, or even the power supply. Check whether the Ethernet link light stays steady, reinstall or update the network adapter driver, and test with a cheap USB Ethernet adapter if available. If that works reliably, the built-in adapter may have been damaged.
Start by completely power-cycling the network equipment. Unplug the router, and the modem or fiber box if you have one, then leave them disconnected for a few minutes before plugging them back in. A power flicker can leave a router in a bad state, and a normal restart may not clear it.
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