How to Fix Ethernet Connected But No Internet – Effective Ways in 2023

A wired network connection is supposed to be easier to use. As for internet connections, Ethernet is the best way to connect. It offers low latency (transfer speed), is stable and reliable, and is easy to set up and maintain. Best of all, it’s usually faster than WiFi, making it perfect for homes that consume a lot of multimedia content or connect multiple devices at once.

However, the downside to Ethernet is that when it doesn’t work correctly, troubleshooting can be a nightmare because so many things can cause an error message. In this comprehensive guide, we are going to solve the confusion and frustration of the “No Internet” Windows status message that pops up along with the “Ethernet connected but no Internet” problem. If you are currently experiencing issues with your internet connection, try the following solutions to fix it. Make sure you follow the steps correctly for the solution to be effective.

1. Check your DNS Settings:

You may lose your internet access due to problems with DNS settings. To solve this problem, you need to follow these steps.

• Press Win + R simultaneously on your keyboard.
• Enter “ncpa.cpl” in the box and press enter key.
• Right-click on your network connection and select Properties.
• Now double-click on the Internet Protocol Version (TCP/IPv4) option.
• Make sure that both Obtain a DNS server address automatically and Obtain an IP address automatically are selected.
• After that click OK.
• Check if your internet connection is stable. If the problem persists, proceed to the next step.
• Select the Use the following DNS server addresses option.
• Now change your server address to Google public DNS server addresses (8.8.8.8/8.8.4.4)
• After that click OK.
• Now your internet problem is solved. To confirm, check if you can access the Internet.

2. Check Your Ethernet Cable to Ensure Proper Connection:

The first thing you should do is check that your Ethernet cable is properly connected to both your laptop Ethernet port and the Ethernet port on the back of your router/modem. While checking to see if your tower is under the desk or your router/modem is a bit tedious and annoying, checking for connection lights is the first step in diagnosing what’s wrong.

• On the back of your computer tower, locate where the Ethernet cable plugs into. Do you see a solid pale green light? If yes, then you have the right connection.
• On the back of your router/modem, locate where the Ethernet cable plugs into. It resides in one of the Ethernet ports labeled WLAN1, WLAN2, WLAN3, etc. See which port it’s plugged into, then look on the top of your router/modem for the corresponding plug name and see if you have a solid green light.
• If you do, you will have the right connection. If any of these connections are flashing, red, or with no light, it means you are not connected properly or there is a problem with the port(s).

3. Restart Your Router:

If the previous two steps did not fix your Ethernet connectivity, the next important step is to restart your router/modem and your computer.

• Go to where your router/modem is plugged into a wall outlet. If your router/modem has a power button, press (or hold – depends on model) to turn it off.
• Then find the connecting cable from your router/modem to the power brick that plugs into the wall. Unplug the power brick from the wall outlet.
• Now, unplug the power cable from the back of the router/modem.
• Wait 1-2 minutes while the router/modem is in a shutdown state.
• Shut down your computer. You can do this by using the Windows Start menu or the Shutdown option to select the Power button, or you can use your desktop’s tower power button.
• After your computer shuts down, plug the power cable back into the router/modem and the power brick back into the wall outlet. If your router/modem has a power button, turn it back on.
• Wait a few minutes until all the lights on the router/modem come back on. Then reboot your computer and see if the Ethernet is connected to the Internet.

4. Update Your Network Drivers:

As your network drivers should be automatically updated when running Windows Updates, it’s always a good idea to make sure an update isn’t missed. If your network drivers are out of date, this could be the reason why your Windows 10 computer is connected to Ethernet and still has no Internet access. To update your network drivers, do the following:

• In your computer’s search menu (taskbar), type device manager.
• In the window that opens, you will be greeted with a list of devices.
• Scroll through the list until you see Network Adapters.
• Click the down arrow to open the list of network adapters.
• Select the Ethernet adapter from the list and right-click on it.
• Now select the Update Driver option from the menu.
• Now, if you have WiFi, you can automatically search for and install the driver.
• If you don’t have internet access, you’ll need to manually get the network adapter driver using another computer and put it on a USB stick. Then you have to manually install it on your computer.

Conclusion:

So, if you’re connected to Ethernet but no internet connection is available, now you know what’s causing it and how to fix it quickly. Whether the problem is hardware or software related, follow all our recommendations for the best results. If you have any queries regarding this guide, please feel free to comment in the comment section.