My wired Ethernet connection in Windows 11 suddenly stopped working. The network icon keeps cycling between "Identifying" and "No Internet access," so I can't get online through the cable. I installed the Ethernet cables in my apartment myself, and everything worked normally for about two months before this started. I've already looked through several basic troubleshooting guides but haven't found a solution. What should I check first?
3 Answers
If the physical connection checks out, restart the router or switch and then disable and re-enable the Ethernet adapter in Windows. You can also open Command Prompt as administrator and run `ipconfig /release`, `ipconfig /renew`, and `ipconfig /flushdns`. If the computer still cannot obtain an IP address, the router’s DHCP service or the adapter configuration may be the problem.
Since you installed the apartment cabling yourself, check the wall jacks and patch-panel connections for loose wires or a bad termination. A cable can work for a while and then develop an intermittent connection. If possible, connect the computer directly to the router with a known-good cable to narrow down whether the in-wall wiring is the issue.
Start by testing with a different Ethernet cable, then try different network ports on both ends if available. This will help determine whether the problem is the cable, a wall jack, the router or switch port, or the computer’s Ethernet adapter. Also confirm what device the cable is connected to.
I installed the cables myself, and they had been working normally for the last two months before this issue appeared.