Windows users might experience one or the other issues on their device because of various reasons like outdated drivers, incompatible settings, OS bugs, outdated operating system, and more. One of the most frequent problems that Windows 10 users face is Unidentified Network.
While connecting to WiFi or a LAN, many Windows 10 users come across the Unidentified Network problem, which restricts them from using the internet. This problem can be caused by technical issues at the ISP’s side, but it is often because of some glitch on the user’s device.
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If users are experiencing this problem frequently, then there is no need to get restless. This post will provide all the possible fixes to the Unidentified Network issue in Windows 10.
Turn Off the Airplane Mode
Many users might accidentally enable the Airplane Mode or forget to disable it after enabling it for DND. Airplane Mode would restrict the connection to WiFi and cause the Unidentified Network issue.
The solution is to turn off the Airplane Mode. Here are the steps for that:
Go to Windows Settings and select Network & Internet settings.
From the left pane, choose Airplane mode.
Make sure that it is turned off.
Change the DNS Server Address
This a handy trick. Changing the DNS server address can not only fix the Unidentified Network issue but also increase the user’s internet speed. Here is the process to change the DNS:
- Right-click on the Start button and select Network Connections.
- Under the Advanced network option, click on Change adapter options.
- Right-click on the WiFi or LAN network and choose Properties.
- Double-click on the Internet Protocol version 4.
- Click the Use the following DNS server addresses bullet option and add the following address:
- Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8
- Alternate DNS server: 8.8.4.4
- Click OK and close the window.
Set a static IP address
Sometimes setting a static IP address can solve the issue of an Unidentified Network. Here are the steps to do that:
- Right-click on the Start button and select Network Connections.
- Under the Advanced network option, click on Change adapter options.
- Right-click on the WiFi or LAN network and choose Properties.
- Double-click on the Internet Protocol version 4.
- Check the Use the following IP address radio button and enter this next to IP address: 192.168.1.23
- Click OK and exit the window.
Update the Network Card Drivers
An outdated driver can raise incompatibility issues and cause problems such as Windows 10 Unidentified Network. The solution is to update the drivers to the latest version. Here are the steps to manually update the network card drivers:
- Open the Device Manager.
- Expand the Network Adapters
- Right-click on the WiFi adapter and select Update driver.
- Similarly, update all the Network Cards one by one.
If you find it difficult to update the drivers manually, you can get a dedicated driver updater program that would keep your system drivers updated.
Try Command Prompt Troubleshooting Commands
Command Prompt is an excellent tool to fix many Windows problems. Using a few Command Prompt troubleshooting commands, the Unidentified Network issue might be resolved. Here are the steps to apply those commands.
- Launch Command Prompt with the Administrator Rights.
- Type or copy/paste the following commands one by one and hit the enter key.
- ipconfig /release
- ipconfig /renew
- netsh winsock reset
- netsh int ip reset
- ipconfig /flushdns
- ipconfig /registerdns
- netsh int tcp set heuristics disabled
- netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled
- netsh int tcp set global rss=enabled
- netsh int tcp show global
- Restart the system
These commands are meant to renew the IP address, reset Winsock, Flush DNS cache, and reset TCP/IP.
Turn off the Fast Startup
Fast Startup is the Windows 10 feature that helps to quickly reboot the system after a shutdown. This feature might cause a glitch in the network settings, causing the Unidentified Network error. Try switching off the Fast Startup and check whether the problem is solved. Follow these steps:
- Launch Control Panel and select System and Security.
- Choose Power Options
- From the left side, select Choose what the power button does option.
- Next, click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
- Uncheck the Turn off the fast startup option and click the Save changes button.
- Restart the system.
Diagnose the Network
If the problem persists, try running the network diagnosis. It would hopefully find the problem and fix it.
- Right-click on the Start button and select Network Connections.
- Under the Advanced network option, click on Change adapter options.
- Right-click on the WiFi or LAN network and choose Diagnose.
Temporarily Disable the Security Program
For protecting your device from malicious threats, you might be using a security program such as antimalware. Some Windows 10 users have reported that disabling the security programs have solved the Unidentified Network issue on their device. The reason could be because security programs tend to block the insecure network connection, and because of false-positive, they might be treating even the secure network as a threat. Though security needs to be all-time active, especially while browsing the internet, it is recommended to temporarily disable them and check if the Unidentified Network issue is fixed. If the problem is fixed, then contact the security program’s customer care and tell them about the case.
Conclusion
The Unidentified Network in Windows 10 can be really frustrating when you urgently want to access the internet on your device. This post has listed all the possible fixes to the problem and would surely fix it. If the problem persists even after applying all the solutions, then it might be a hardware issue. In that case, change your WiFi modem or LAN cable.
Unidentified Network is a Windows 10 internet network issue in which the device is unable to connect to the network because of various reasons like an outdated driver, wrong settings, and others.
No internet access in Windows 10 can be fixed easily by knowing the cause of the problem. If you cannot find the cause, one by one, try every fix listed in this article.
Peter is an Electrical Engineer whose primary interest is tinkering with his computer. He is passionate about Windows 10 Platform and enjoys writing tips and tutorials about it.