The network adapter on the laptop is not detected. The network adapter does not have valid IP settings

Many people are probably familiar with the situation when it becomes necessary to connect a computer to the Internet using a network cable or via Wi-Fi, and it turns out that the connection does not work because there is no network adapter in the device manager. And here it doesn’t even matter whether you have a laptop or a regular PC. Windows 10, Windows 7, 8, or even Windows XP are installed on it. As a result, we simply will not be able to connect to the Internet. Very often people encounter this problem after relocating Windows. Below in the article I will try to explain why this happens, what network adapters should be in the device manager and what to do if they are not there.

Let's first figure out what network adapters are. Apart from Bluetooth (we are unlikely to connect to the Internet through it), then there are two left:

Wireless network adapter – also known as Wi-Fi. It’s easy to guess that it is responsible for connecting to the Internet via Wi-Fi. As a rule, it is built into every laptop and is not initially found in desktop computers. But you can buy it in addition.
Network card, or Ethernet adapter (LAN) - it is used to connect via a network cable. Available on all PCs ( LAN port on the motherboard, or a separate card). LAN is also available on almost all laptops. Except ultrabooks. USB-LAN adapters are used there.

In the screenshot below you can see what these network adapters look like in Device Manager. Please note that depending on the manufacturer of the laptop, PC, or adapters, they may be called differently. There may also be many other adapters, such as WAN Miniport.

To open the device manager, you can use the search in Windows 10, open it through properties in "My Computer", or press the Win+R key combination and execute the command mmc devmgmt.msc.

As practice shows, the adapter (or both) is mostly missing for three reasons:

The adapter is simply not in your device. As I wrote above, PCs usually do not have a built-in Wi-Fi module. And accordingly, it cannot be displayed in the device manager. But you can always buy such an adapter and install it. You can read the article: . Or the same network card may not be in the laptop.
The driver for Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter is not installed. This is the most popular reason. In this case, there should be unknown devices in the device manager (if the adapter is physically present). On the "Other devices" tab. This also includes BIOS settings. In some cases, the WLAN or LAN adapter may be disabled in the BIOS settings.
The adapter is simply broken. It’s not uncommon for network cards to burn out on desktop computers. And Wi-Fi modules on laptops fail. You can always buy a network card (USB or PCI) and install it in your PC. The wireless module can also be changed. It is possible for both PC and laptop. And here's another article on the topic: .

Let's look at each adapter in more detail.

What to do if there is no Wi-Fi adapter in Device Manager?

Almost always, the name of a wireless adapter contains the following words: Wireless, WLAN, Wireless Network Adapter, 802.11. They look something like this:

As you can see, I have two of them. One is built into the laptop, and the second is connected via USB. The one next to which there is an arrow icon is disabled.

If you don’t have such adapters, but you know for sure that your laptop (or PC) has a Wi-Fi module, then check the “Other devices” section (in the same device manager).

Basically, network adapters appear there as . And then you need to install the driver on them. Or immediately download the WLAN drivers for your laptop model and start the installation. I have already written more than one article on this topic:

And separate instructions for laptops and .

But do not forget that the module may simply fail. It is clear that it will not be identified in the system.

If there is no network card (LAN)

There are much fewer problems with network cards. If only because Windows almost always automatically installs the driver for Ethernet adapters. Unless in Windows XP you have to install the driver manually. But this is no longer very relevant now.

As for the drivers for these adapters, I wrote about them in the article: .

This is what the network card looks like in Device Manager (of course, your name may be different):

If it is not there, but physically it is on your computer, then most likely it is broken. By tradition, we check the “Other devices” tab. If there are no unknown devices there, the card will probably have to be replaced. Or buy a USB Ethernet adapter.

To briefly summarize this article, it goes like this:

Check to see if you have the required network adapter on your computer.
Let's make sure that the problem is not in the drivers.
If all else fails, we take the computer to be repaired, or change the necessary adapter ourselves. It should be noted that at home it is very problematic to determine the reason for the lack of an adapter and find a breakdown.

It turned out to be a complex article, and a little confusing. This is because this problem is very controversial. There are many different things that vary greatly depending on the device, manufacturer, settings, etc.

As always, I look forward to your messages in the comments. Just one request, please write on the topic of the article.

Just yesterday everything was fine, you were enjoying high-speed Internet, but this morning you turn it on, but the computer does not see the network card. However, here you will think about it. The first thing that comes to mind is that it is out of order, you need to urgently run to the tech market for a new spare part.

That’s why it’s a good idea to always buy two completely identical system units at once. So that in case of problems, you can look for a fault by replacing suspicious modules with known good ones.

This is the path for advanced users and computer geeks. A mere mortal user most often cannot afford such excesses. In this case, one should remember the folk wisdom: “The strong and brave walk quickly and easily, but the weak and timid walk long and hard.”

Decoding - if there is nothing to check the equipment with, you will have to check all problem areas sequentially and methodically.

The computer does not see the network card - the main reasons

The board itself is faulty.
Operating system malfunctions.
Network drivers are corrupted.
Network connection settings have been changed.
Antivirus or Windows Firewall interference.

In fact, Chinese electronics do not spoil as often as Chinese shoes. Therefore, if you did not drop the system unit on the floor, did not climb inside and did not switch anything, the probability of failure of the network card itself is extremely small. Most likely the settings have changed.

Go to Control PanelAll Control Panel Items Network and Sharing Center and change settings

But the Windows operating system is not only smart and quick-witted, but also a rather fragile organization. A sudden power outage can easily cause serious damage to system files and connection settings.

Recovery options

Restore Windows to an earlier restore point. It is quite possible that after carrying out such an operation and rebooting the computer, everything will work for you. And not only will the network card appear, but also something else good will restore its functionality. Sometimes restoration needs to be done several times. All the same, it’s better and safer than starting to rearrange blocks and buses in the system unit. Moreover, there is no need to buy anything yet.
A more radical remedy is a complete reshuffle of the Windows operating system. This path may turn out to be the most rational, provided that your system has been installed for quite some time and recently you have begun to notice a general deterioration in the performance of your computer. Regular cleanings do not provide tangible improvements? It's time to update Windows. New RAM, Seven and Eight are reinstalled within half an hour, so no problem.

Why is it useful to reinstall Windows? Because the distribution includes all the drivers necessary for operation. When installing the system in automatic mode, all the necessary settings are made for all devices, and the user does not need to do anything other than press the Enter button from time to time. Updating drivers separately is not an easy task. More suitable for advanced users.

In addition, to reinstall drivers you will need an Internet connection, which you don’t have. If there are backup Internet connections, you are sure that you are able to find exactly the driver for the network card that you need - then try this path.

You can download a whole package of drivers from the manufacturer’s official website and then let the computer itself determine the most suitable option automatically, using the Driver Installation Wizard.

If the problem really was with the driver, after the update the computer should work normally.

The network card was not found by the computer and is not installed as a device

When you connect some new element to your computer, the operating system detects the connection and then tries to configure it as expected. Sometimes automatic connection does not occur and then you need to perform manual installation and configuration.

Go to the Control Panel and select the menu item Install New Hardware. The New Hardware Connection Wizard interface will open. There are two options to choose from:

The device is already connected to the computer.
The device is not yet connected.

Try the “connected” option and look for your lost device in the list that opens. If it is not in the list, it means that the computer has not yet detected it. Then click “not connected yet” and reboot the system. You can do this - turn off the computer, then open the system unit, disconnect and reconnect the network card, perhaps the contact has deteriorated.

After starting the system, repeat the procedures with the Found New Hardware Wizard. If the device appears in the list of connected ones, continue setting up all points in the Wizard.

Incompatible driver update

Sometimes the reason for the card not working can be a failed Windows update. Or, during the process of downloading an automatic update, there were interruptions in the Internet connection, some of the files were downloaded incorrectly. Then you need to reinstall the old driver.

If you have a Windows OS distribution, it is best to take the file directly from the disk. Did everything work before? Or search for the previous version of the driver on the Internet.

Viral infection

Sometimes the reason a network card disappears from sight is a viral infection. Scan your computer with an antivirus. Try to disinfect the system using the Dr. utility. Web CureIt. If it's a virus thing, everything will work out.

Not long ago, the author of these lines encountered an unpleasant situation - one of the computers, which had worked perfectly previously, was connected to a router in a new location using a wired connection. Several devices regularly receive Internet from this router, but the newbie himself refused to work, giving the error: “The network adapter does not have valid IP settings.”

That is, a patch cord, also known as an Ethernet cable, perfectly provides a regularly humming system unit with the Internet, and when connected to a long-suffering system unit, the latter stubbornly ignores the connected Internet.

What is this error and how to get rid of it - let's figure it out together.

We try to turn it off and on

I’ll admit right away that in my case the good old method helped me. I simply turned off the power to the router, and then reconnected it to the electrical network, and everything worked on its own. However, before I tried this miracle method, I had to thoroughly study the problem.

Therefore, first of all, try to “turn off and then turn on again” your problematic device, and also reboot the router. Well, what if it actually helped me in the end?

You can also enable or disable the Internet connection manually. To do this, go to the “Change adapter settings” menu. You can find it in the following way:

Right-click on the connection icon and select “Control Center..”

You can also use the following method: press on the keyboard Win + R, dial ncpa.cpl and confirm your entry with the key Enter.

In the window that opens, select your connection and click disable, and then, in the same way, using the right mouse button, click enable.

Checking the connection. Did not help? Let's move on.

Update the IP address

We are trying to update the IP address automatically. For this we use the command line.

Launch the command line and enter the following code:

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

This method is the safest, and most likely the most useless.

Resetting the TCP/IP protocol

Let's try resetting the network settings. To do this, use the command line again, and then enter the following queries:

netsh int ip reset

netsh int tcp reset

netsh winsock reset

Afterwards we restart the computer. Wrong again? Let's try the following.

We try other ways to solve the error: “The network adapter does not have valid IP settings”

Try disabling your antivirus or third-party firewall.
Remove Network adapter V Device Manager, and reboot. After such an execution, the drivers will be automatically reinstalled. If this does not happen, try downloading the drivers from the manufacturer’s official website.
Uninstall the program Bonjour from Apple, if you have it installed, sometimes it causes a crash.
Check if the network card is disabled in the BIOS.

I hope your problem will be solved as easily and painlessly as in my case. Just in case, it’s worth checking that the cable and network adapter are working properly. Try disconnecting and reconnecting the cable. Update drivers and operating system. If it doesn't help, maybe it's worth it

When the operating system is reinstalled, the user may encounter the problem of missing network driver. Without this driver, it is impossible to start either a wireless or wired network. If you have the disk, there are no problems, just install the program. And if it is missing, you need to find, for example, a mobile phone/tablet with a connected network in order to download the driver. To avoid such problems, when reinstalling the operating system, you must follow the correct algorithm of actions.

The driver is the link between the operating system and the internal components of the computer, that is, this program connects the OS with the motherboard, video and network cards, and office equipment. These programs are developed by the same companies that produce PC equipment and electronic office equipment, which is what a personal computer interacts with. When buying a computer, the user does not think about various drivers, since they are already preinstalled in the system. But, for example, after the first reinstallation of the OS or the purchase of a new computer, the user will be faced with their absence.

If there is no driver for the network on the computer, there is no way to go online and download from official sites, which will automatically scan the operating system and install all missing drivers. When might you encounter a problem installing a network device driver? In these three cases:

Even a new computer, just from a store, may lack an operating system, and as a result, a driver.
When the operating system is installed/reinstalled.
When a system crash occurs and the driver stops working.

The first case is the easiest. The box with your purchase should contain driver discs. The network device driver is located on the software disk for the motherboard.

Since recently users are increasingly assembling computers themselves (choosing internal components), a DVD drive may be missing, and as a result, it is not possible to install any driver from the disk.

In this regard, it is advisable to keep the full set of drivers in a separate folder on your PC or download them to a flash card. In this case, you don’t have to look for a mobile device to go to the official pages of the manufacturers’ websites and from there download a program that will automatically install the missing drivers.

Installing the network driver

Before installing the driver, you must identify your computer. All brands and models of computer internal equipment are encoded with special “ciphers”. This is done so that during installation the driver can identify the computer model and its manufacturer. The network device driver code looks like this: PCI/TECH_xxxx&DEV_xxxx&SUBSYS_xxxxxx. TECH means that the computer hardware was manufactured by A4Tech, and DEV is the device ID.

Step 1. Equipment identification

In order to find out the code, click Start and enter device manager in the search field. Next, a menu will open with which you can identify the equipment. Press " Network adapters» and select the name of the controller.

Once you do this, the Details section will open. Find their "Properties" and select "Model ID". The first line contains complete information about the device model.

Step 2. Install/update the network adapter driver

This will be the identifier of your equipment. Now you need to find it on the Internet by entering the name in any search engine, for example.
The search engine will return the official driver page, and you need to download it to your PC. And then follows the installation procedure itself. If you need to update a network device driver, you do exactly the same thing: find the ID, enter it into the search, download and install.

To install a missing or recent version of the driver, use Device Manager. Perform the same actions in the last step " Update drivers».

Go to the folder where you saved the necessary drivers downloaded from the manufacturer’s official website, and install them using the “Next” button.

Many users, before installing new driver versions, remove old ones to avoid conflicts and inoperability, because even if you did everything correctly, the Internet may not appear on the computer. In this case, you still need to take the advice of users and remove old versions.

How to do it! In Device Manager, you can uninstall the old version of the network driver. Agree with the choice, and the system will remove the network device driver that was previously installed on your computer.

There are two steps left and your computer will work fully. Step one is to reboot and open Device Manager. In place of the removed driver, “ Network controller" In chapter " Other devices».

At the final stage, follow the steps from (updating/installing network device drivers).

Just yesterday everything was fine, you were enjoying high-speed Internet, and this morning you turn it on, but the computer does not see the network card. However, here you will think about it. The first thing that comes to mind is that it is out of order, you need to urgently run to the tech market for a new spare part.

Decoding - if there is nothing to check the equipment with, you will have to check all problem areas sequentially and methodically.

The computer does not see the network card - the main reasons

The board itself is faulty.
Operating system malfunctions.
Network drivers are corrupted.
Network connection settings have been changed.
Antivirus or Windows Firewall interference.

Go to Control PanelAll Control Panel Items Network and Sharing Center and change settings

Recovery options

Restore Windows to an earlier restore point. It is quite possible that after carrying out such an operation and rebooting the computer, everything will work for you. And not only will the network card appear, but also something else good will restore its functionality. Sometimes restoration needs to be done several times. All the same, it’s better and safer than starting to rearrange blocks and buses in the system unit. Moreover, there is no need to buy anything yet.
A more radical remedy is a complete reshuffle of the Windows operating system. This path may turn out to be the most rational, provided that your system has been installed for quite some time and recently you have begun to notice a general deterioration in the performance of your computer. Regular cleanings do not provide tangible improvements? It's time to update Windows. New RAM, Seven and Eight are reinstalled within half an hour, so no problem.

If the problem really was with the driver, after the update the computer should work normally.

The network card was not found by the computer and is not installed as a device

Go to the Control Panel and select the menu item Install New Hardware. The New Hardware Connection Wizard interface will open. There are two options to choose from:

The device is already connected to the computer.
The device is not yet connected.

After starting the system, repeat the procedures with the Found New Hardware Wizard. If the device appears in the list of connected ones, continue setting up all points in the Wizard.

Incompatible driver update

Sometimes the reason for the card not working may be a failed Windows update. Or, during the process of downloading an automatic update, there were interruptions in the Internet connection, some of the files were downloaded incorrectly. Then you need to reinstall the old driver.

If you have a Windows OS distribution, it is best to take the file directly from the disk. Did everything work before? Or search for the previous version of the driver on the Internet.

Viral infection

One of the problems that a user may encounter after reinstalling Windows is the lack of a driver for the network adapter (network driver) for a wired or wireless network.

And if you don’t have a driver disk at hand, you will have to look for the driver and download it using another device that has Internet access.

In this article we will look at an algorithm that will allow you to avoid troubles that may arise after installing the OS.

What is a driver? This is a program with which the computer operating system interacts with the device hardware (motherboard, video card, network card, printer, scanner, MFP, etc.).

Drivers are developed by companies that produce computer components and peripherals that interact with PCs (for example, office equipment).

Often, modern operating systems (including Windows 7) already have a certain set of drivers that allow you to work with the main components of your computer; we will consider the case when such programs are missing.

The peculiarity of the situation when the network driver is not installed is that it is not possible to use programs to automatically install drivers, since they all use an Internet connection for their work, and since the network driver is not installed, there is no access to the Internet.

The user usually encounters installing network adapter drivers in the following cases:

1. After purchasing a new computer and not having an OS installed on it.

2. After installing the operating system.

3. After a network adapter driver failure.

To solve the problems that arise in the first case, you need to look for the disks that come with your computer. The driver disk for the motherboard contains what we need.

Over the past few years, a trend has clearly emerged that involves the abandonment of the use of optical disc drives not only among manufacturers of laptops, but also desktop PCs.

Users who independently choose the components from which their computer will be assembled also refuse to install a DVD drive.

Advice! We recommend downloading all the necessary drivers (not just the network one) to a separate directory on your hard drive and/or flash drive. This will avoid situations where, after installing the operating system, you will need to look for a drive or PC (tablet, phone) to download drivers from disk or the Internet.

Installing the network driver

The driver installation procedure can be divided into 2 stages: hardware identification and driver installation.

In order to identify manufacturers and specific models of equipment, a coding system for models and brands of computer components was developed.

Typically, the code for a network adapter has the following form: PCI/VEN_xxxx&DEV_xxxx&SUBSYS_xxxxxx, where VEN_xxxx is the equipment manufacturer identifier (Vendor ID), DEV_xxxx is the equipment model code (Device ID).

Step 1. Equipment identification

In order to find out the code, click Start, enter “Device Manager” in the search field and go to the corresponding menu.

Next, you need to find the “Network adapters” or “Other devices” submenu and right-click on one of the submenu items, for example, in our case it will be “Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller”.

Step 2. Install/update the network adapter driver

After we have found out the equipment identifier, we should copy its name (right-click - copy) and enter it into the browser search field. After downloading the necessary program, you can begin installing it.

Similar actions will occur if you update the network driver.

To install/update the network adapter driver, you need to go to the “Device Manager” as described earlier. Select the required item and in the context menu, which is accessible by right-clicking, select “Update drivers...”.

Select “Search for drivers on this computer.”

We go to the directory into which we recently downloaded everything we need, using the “Browse” button, click “Next” and wait for the driver installation process to complete.

There is also an opinion that if you update (reinstall) a network driver, you must first remove the old one, after which you should install a new one.

Important! To remove an already installed driver, you need to go to “Device Manager”, select the network adapter, right-click and select “Delete” in the context menu. After this, the system will warn you that the device driver will be removed, we agree by clicking “OK”.

Driver Updater from Carambis

If you have a need to search for universal programs that can function on different operating systems: I mean utilities for creating group policies, programs for cleaning the system from viruses and, of course, software for working with OS drivers - the best solution would be to use the Carambis program Driver Updater.

Thanks to Driver Updater, you can not only get the software you need, but also save big. After all, one subscription purchase allows you to connect two computers at once.

The idea of writing this article was born at the moment when, at the request of a friend to fix a problem on his computer with a WiFi connection, it was discovered that Network adapter is not in Windows Device Manager. Let me remind you that this device is responsible for connecting to the Internet via a wireless signal. We began to figure out the essence of the problem step by step, and I will share this algorithm with you today.

Let's think about it and systematize all the possible reasons why the device manager does not see the network adapter.

WiFi adapter is broken

This doesn’t happen often, but it does happen, so this option cannot be ruled out. In my practice, there have been cases where both computer network cards that are connected to the PCI slot of the motherboard inside the system unit and much smaller cards installed in laptops have burned out. Since the device is not working, the adapter does not appear in the device manager.

USB connector is faulty

Continuing the topic of breakdowns, we will touch on the option in which the problem is not in the adapter at all, but in the USB port, which simply does not work. That is, when your computer connects to the Internet through an external adapter connected to this same USB. To check if this is true

try to insert the adapter into the adjacent port
if it doesn’t work, or if it’s the only one, which is not uncommon on laptops, then try connecting another device to this connector, for example a mouse

In the case when the mouse works, but the adapter does not, this is the reason. If the mouse doesn’t work either, then it’s definitely a USB problem. And it’s even worse if none of the ports is functioning - this alarm bell may indicate either the absence of some drivers for the motherboard, or serious malfunctions associated with the operation of bridges on the motherboard - but this is a topic for another article...

USB extension cable is faulty

In order to better catch a signal that is poorly reaching the computer, “advanced” users use a USB extension cable, which is placed closer to the access point. So, this could be the whole problem - either the cable is leaky or the connector is loose. Try plugging the adapter directly into the computer. Another type of such connection is through a USB hub, when the laptop has a shortage of USB inputs. But there may also be a problem with insufficient power supply to the device. If it is quite enough for flash drives, then it may not be enough for a wifi whistle.

Drivers not installed or lost

Drivers conflict with others or are not suitable for this version of Windows

The case is quite rare, but it happened to me once, as a result of which I was forced to abandon one model of wifi adapter and install another. I couldn’t figure out what was going on - it kept appearing in the dispatcher and then disappeared again. Even repeated removal and installation of factory drivers did not help. Perhaps they simply did not support work with Windows 10 correctly - I was never able to find out for sure.

Here is my experience in solving the problem when the network adapter is not in the Windows Manager, I hope it will be useful to you in correcting this error.