If a wired connection on Windows 11 keeps dropping, work through the checks in a fixed order: run the built-in Network and Internet troubleshooter, confirm the physical path, restart the modem and router, and test another device on the same network. The result of that last test usually decides whether you should be looking at the PC or at the network behind it. Driver work and Network reset come later, and only after those steps have narrowed the cause.
Start with the Windows 11 troubleshooter
Microsoft’s support guidance for Ethernet problems, titled “Fix Ethernet connection problems in Windows,” applies to both Windows 10 and Windows 11 and names the Network and Internet troubleshooter in the Get Help app as the starting point for Windows 11. Open Get Help from the Start menu, search for the Network and Internet troubleshooter, and follow its prompts. Write down any action it reports and any error code it shows. Those details are useful later if you contact your internet provider or the PC manufacturer, and they help you decide whether a driver step is warranted.
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Check the physical path
Most wired drops that look like software faults start at a connector. Work through this list before changing any settings:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- Confirm that the cable is fully seated at the PC’s Ethernet port and at the other end.
- Confirm that the router end is in a LAN port, not the port labeled Internet or WAN. A cable in the WAN port connects the router to the modem, so a PC plugged there will not reach the local network in the usual way.
- If you have a second Ethernet cable, swap it in and reconnect. If the connection stays stable with the second cable, the original cable is the likely fault.
A swap is a diagnostic step, not a purchase decision. Replacing a cable only makes sense once a known-good cable has isolated the original one. Nothing in Microsoft’s guidance supports the idea that a more expensive or higher-category cable will fix disconnects on its own.
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Restart the modem and router
Microsoft’s general procedure for restarting network equipment has a specific order:
- Unplug the power cable from the router and from the modem.
- Wait about 30 seconds.
- Reconnect the modem and give it time to settle.
- Reconnect the router and wait until it has finished starting before testing the PC.
If your modem and router are a single combined device, restart that one unit rather than trying to sequence two separate boxes. Be aware that a restart disconnects everyone else on the network for a few minutes, so tell other users before you do it.
Compare with another device to find the fault
Connect a second computer to the same network with a cable that works, then compare the results. The table below summarizes what each outcome points to, based on Microsoft’s troubleshooting sequence.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Rank #2
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| What you observe | What it points to | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Only the affected PC drops; a second PC on the same network stays connected | The original PC: its Ethernet adapter, its driver, or Windows network settings | Go to the adapter and driver checks below |
| Several devices drop, including the second PC | The router, the modem, the internet provider’s service, or the adapter, which Microsoft lists as possible causes | Restart the equipment, then contact the internet provider if drops continue |
| A different cable keeps the connection stable | The original cable | Replace that cable |
| Restarting the equipment restores service | A temporary fault in the modem or router state; Microsoft’s guidance does not establish how often this recurs | Repeat the comparison after the next drop to see whether the pattern holds |
A status of “Connected” in Windows does not rule out an upstream fault. If the adapter shows a link but websites fail or the connection drops, the second-device test is the most reliable way to separate a PC problem from a network problem.
Check the Ethernet adapter and driver
If the drops follow the PC rather than the network, check the adapter’s status first. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Ethernet and look for any status message that suggests a problem.
If the problem persists after the physical checks, Microsoft documents a sequence of network reset commands that you run in an elevated Command Prompt, in this order:
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netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdnsRun the commands exactly in that order and restart the PC if the connection still fails.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →If the commands do not help, Microsoft recommends replacing the Ethernet driver with a backup from the PC manufacturer. This matters for two reasons: removing the adapter can leave you without a working connection until a driver is restored, and Windows does not always reinstall a working driver on its own. Before you uninstall anything, do the following:
- Note the PC manufacturer and model, and the Ethernet adapter name shown in Device Manager under Network adapters.
- Download the Ethernet driver for that exact model from the manufacturer’s support site, and save it to a USB drive or another location you can reach without a network connection.
- Open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, right-click the Ethernet adapter, and select Uninstall device.
- Restart the PC. Windows may reinstall the adapter automatically.
- If Windows does not reinstall it, install the saved driver from the manufacturer.
This step is especially worth trying when the drops began after a Windows or driver update, which is a pattern Microsoft specifically notes. Without the PC model and adapter name, no particular driver can be identified, so do not download a driver from an unknown source.
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Use Network reset only as a last resort
Network reset is the most disruptive option. It removes installed network adapters and their settings. After the restart, adapters are reinstalled with default settings, so you may need to reconfigure any custom adapter settings, reinstall VPN software, or set up Hyper-V virtual switches again. The reset can also change known network profiles to Public, which affects device discovery and file sharing on that network.
To run it, go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset, then select Reset now. Use it only after the troubleshooter, cable checks, equipment restart, device comparison, and driver steps have failed to resolve the drops.
What the common fixes do not establish
Some advice circulating for Windows connection problems does not carry over to wired connections. Microsoft’s separate guidance on Wi-Fi includes a setting that stops Windows from turning off a Wi-Fi adapter to save power. That guidance is written for Wi-Fi. The support material reviewed for this article does not show that the same setting applies to an Ethernet adapter, so it should not be treated as an Ethernet fix.
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Replacing a router or modem is also not the first move. Microsoft lists the router, the internet provider, and the adapter as possible causes when several devices fail, which means the comparison in the previous section should come before any hardware purchase. A USB-to-Ethernet adapter is a separate case: Microsoft mentions it for PCs without a built-in Ethernet port and as part of another-PC testing. It can serve as an alternative connection while you diagnose the original port, but whether it works depends on the computer, and it is not a guaranteed fix for disconnects.
When to escalate
- Several devices drop on the same network after the equipment restart: contact your internet provider about the line.
- Only one PC drops, the adapter and driver steps have not resolved it, and the PC is still under manufacturer support: contact the manufacturer with the troubleshooter output and adapter details.
- The drops continue after a Network reset: the cause has not been isolated by these steps, and a technician with access to the hardware is the next step.
The aim of this sequence is to identify which part is failing, so that you spend time and money on the component that actually needs attention.
Quick Recap
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