[SOLVED] Ethernet - Unidentified Network

[SWHK1]

Hi All

My ethernet sometimes shows as 'unidentified network' - I thought this was a Windows issue so I re-installed my windows and also purchased a new external network adapter (USB to Ethernet type). Annoyingly, this issue still happens. I have got the ethernet at times to work after running all the instructions from cmd and running network troubleshooter. When I run the troubleshooter, the error is always 'ethernet2 doesn't have a valid IP configuration'.

I realize that it stops working when I switch back from wifi to ethernet. (use the wifi in the living room but use ethernet in my room). I am suspecting by connecting to the wifi, it 'changed' my IP address of the ethernet?

Many thanks and any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[RealBeast]

Could you post the results of a command prompt ipconfig /all ?
I suspect that your Ethernet adapter will have an address like 169.254.y.z, a default for Windows.
And what version of Windows do you use, 10 Home, or?

 

[SamirD]

Sounds like windows is getting confused by the switching back and forth.

 

[Ralston18]

Seconding the posts above:

Run "ipconfig /all" and also "getmac"

You also need to look beyond just IP addresses....

FYI:

https://dongknows.com/mac-address-explained/

To determine what your system/Windows is "seeing" run the following command at the Command Prompt:

netsh interface ipv4 show interface

For the most part, I expect that you just need to ensure that only one network adapter (either wired or wireless) is enabled at a time.

And allow Windows a few minutes to get re-connected again after switching network adapters.

 

[SWHK1]

Could you post the results of a command prompt ipconfig /all ?
I suspect that your Ethernet adapter will have an address like 169.254.y.z, a default for Windows.
And what version of Windows do you use, 10 Home, or?

Many thanks, I am using Windows 10 Home. Based on something I saw online, I have fixed my IPV4 address/DNS and the ethernet was working again.
However, I had to use my laptop in my living room so I switched it to wifi and as usual, the ethernet doesn't work again when I am back in my room.

As SamirD mentioned, Windows may be confused with the back and forth but I don't remember this being a problem before (maybe only this past 6months?)

Please see below

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : LAPTOP-LQ3EPE7R
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Ethernet 2:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek USB GbE Family Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-E0-4C-68-00-4F
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.122(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection* 1:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 0E-54-15-39-A5-5D
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection* 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 0C-54-15-39-A5-5E
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 0C-54-15-39-A5-5D
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::5128:e390:9ca8:e454%10(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.114(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, 26 June 2021 7:34:49 pm
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, 27 June 2021 7:34:50 pm
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 151802901
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-28-5F-59-5E-0C-54-15-39-A5-5D
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 218.252.0.24
218.252.0.25
192.168.1.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

 

[RealBeast]

I would use the same DNS server on wireless and Ethernet.

 

[SWHK1]

I would use the same DNS server on wireless and Ethernet.

Thanks, do you think I should set my ethernet adapter back to auto?

 

[RealBeast]

I would use whatever you are using on the wireless also on the Ethernet adapter, so if that is auto then yes.

 

[SWHK1]

I would use whatever you are using on the wireless also on the Ethernet adapter, so if that is auto then yes.

Once I set it back to auto, the ethernet 'dies' again. Please see my details below. As you have mentioned, the IP address for my ethernet is 169.254.....

Ethernet adapter Ethernet 2:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek USB GbE Family Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-E0-4C-68-00-4F
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::810:b194:710b:ce17%19(Preferred)
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.206.23(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 637591628
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-28-5F-59-5E-0C-54-15-39-A5-5D
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 0C-54-15-39-A5-5D
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::5128:e390:9ca8:e454%10(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.114(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, 28 June 2021 11:12:56 pm
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, 29 June 2021 11:12:56 pm
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 151802901
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-28-5F-59-5E-0C-54-15-39-A5-5D
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 218.252.0.24
218.252.0.25
192.168.1.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection* 1:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 0E-54-15-39-A5-5D
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection* 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 0C-54-15-39-A5-5E
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

 

[RealBeast]

You can manually enter the same as the wireless instead of auto: primary 218.252.0.24 and secondary 218.252.0.25

One thing that is often a quick fix for the unidentified network is to run THIS software MAC changer, and it can also be used to change the MAC back to the original if you want later. Just insure that you select the Ethernet adapter when you run it.

I often use this after checking the cable and router Ethernet port usually by changing to different ones of each, as those can also be the source of the problem.