How to fix Unidentified Network Error in Windows?

The internet is great, but what about when the internet doesn’t work? A little bit of troubleshooting should help fix any unidentified network problems or no internet in Windows in most cases.

With this step-by-step guide, you’ll be able to take all of the essential steps to fix your internet so that you can get back online as soon as possible.

Table of Contents

Causes of the Unidentified Network error

In this day and age, we utilize the internet daily. Whether you’re looking up a recipe to cook for the family or utilizing the endless entertainment online, you need a stable internet connection. Issues related to this connection, such as the Unidentified Network error, can come from various sources.

The first step in fixing any error is identifying the right cause. Some of the most basic reasons for the Unidentified Network error are the following:

Windows Update. While Windows 10’s automatic updates are pleasant and easy to apply, there’s a possibility of something going wrong during the update process. New updates may modify key system files, which makes the Unidentified Network error occurred.
Incorrect IP configuration. Networks can identify your computer by using its unique IP address. If this address is poorly configured, it can lead to several issues connected to a network and the internet.
Your network card driver. It would be best if you kept your drivers up to date. If your network card driver is old or corrupted, it’s most likely the problem of the Unidentified Network error.
Network settings. Like your IP address, your network settings play a huge role in allowing you to connect to a network and the internet. Wrong settings will prevent you from making a connection.
Third-party apps. Windows 10 users have reported that several third-party applications, such as antivirus resolutions, prevent them from connecting to networks.

If any of the above reasons seem to have anything to do with the Unidentified Network error on your device, continue reading the next section.

How to fix Unidentified Network Error?

Update Your Network Card Driver

Windows 10 is excellent at automatically finding and installing the right drivers for your hardware. So if there is a potential driver problem, follow the steps here.

Begin the Start menu and search for Device Manager.
Open Device Manager.
Click the arrow on the Network adapter’s option.
Right-click your network adapter.
Click Update Driver.
Click Search automatically for updated driver software.
Wait for the driver installation process to finish.

Next, try to enter Google in your browser again. Hopefully, your internet will now work.

Don’t know which network adapter is the correct one? Follow the steps below to find out.

Open the Start Menu.
Type CMD and click on Command Prompt.
Type ipconfig /all and press enter.

You’ll see several results. There should be a single Ethernet or WiFi adapter that will correspond with a name found in the device manager. Other outcomes will most likely be for virtual ethernet devices like VPNs.

Disable Virtual Ethernet Devices

Suppose you haven’t found a solution yet and are still receiving errors about an unidentified network or have no internet. In that case, you should try to remove any virtual ethernet drivers on your PC, as these can cause significant issues with how your PC connects to the internet. A virtual ethernet driver could be anything from a VPN to the software designed to improve ping or packet loss.

You can find virtual ethernet devices and disable them by following the steps here.

Open the Start Menu.
Type View Network Connections and hit on the result that appears.
You will now see your ethernet devices.
Right-click on each network device that belongs to software and clicks Disable.
If you’re unsure, you can Google the name of each network device to get more before disabling them.

Both Ethernet and WiFi Adapters May Be Active

If two network adapters are active at the same time, this can make issues with your connection. It’s always better to use a wired connection over WiFi, so you can disable your WiFi connection if this is a problem for you.

Open the Start Menu.
Search for View Network Connections and hit on the result.
Right-click every adapter here and disable all of them except for your primary ethernet adapter.

To access WiFi networks in the future, you must visit this page to allow your WiFi adapter again.

Reset TCP/IP Stack

Using this command will enable you to reset some of your networking settings back to default. It can resolve issues that may have appeared after installing specific software or making manual changes to your network settings.

Open the Start Menu.
Type CMD and right-click on Command Prompt.
Click Run as administrator.
In the Command Prompt window, type netshint IP reset and hit enter.
Restart your PC.

If you are still having issues, follow the next troubleshooting steps here.

Resolve Issues with Your Network Adapter

There may be some underlying problems with your network adapter that can be quickly diagnosed within the Windows control panel. If you’ve previously updated your network adapter drivers, follow the steps below to try and diagnose other issues.

Open the Start Menu.
Type View Network Connections and click on the result that arrives.
Right-click on your active network adapter.
Hit diagnose and wait for the troubleshooter to finish.

By default, if your network adapter is placed to use a static IP address, but it should be using DHCP, this should fix it. However, it’s a great idea to check yourself too. To do this, hit on Start, then Settings (gear icon), and then click on Network and Internet.

Next, click on the Change adapter options below the Change your network settings heading.

This will bring up a different window that will show you all of the network adapters on your system. Depending on the active one, you need to right-click on it and choose Properties.

This will take up the Ethernet or WiFi Properties dialog box. Hit on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on the Properties button.

Finally, depending on your network, you either need to have the correct static IP info, or you need to select Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically.