Ethernet Keeps Dropping on Windows 11? 5 Fixes

Ethernet dropping randomly on Windows 11 is usually a power management or driver issue. These five fixes target the real culprits and get your connection stable again.

Quick answer: For most people, disabling the adapter's power saving mode and updating the driver fixes it. Here's the exact order to try:

I know this error is infuriating—you're in the middle of a video call or a game, and suddenly the little globe icon appears, connection gone. I've seen this on hundreds of machines, and it's almost never a hardware fault. Windows 11's default power management settings are too aggressive with network adapters, and some driver versions have bugs that cause them to drop the link under load. Let's fix it.

Fix 1: Turn Off Power Saving on the Adapter

Windows can shut down your network adapter to save power, even on a desktop PC. This is the #1 culprit for random drops.

Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
Expand Network adapters, right-click your ethernet adapter (Realtek, Intel, etc.), and choose Properties.
Go to the Power Management tab.
Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
Click OK and restart your PC.

That's the first thing to try. If you're on a laptop, also go to Settings > System > Power & battery and set the power mode to Best performance while plugged in.

Fix 2: Update or Roll Back the Driver

Drivers are the next suspect. Realtek's drivers, in particular, have had buggy versions that cause disconnects under high throughput.

Back in Device Manager, right-click your ethernet adapter and select Update driver.
Choose Search automatically for drivers. If Windows finds nothing, go to the manufacturer's website (e.g., Realtek's site) and download the latest driver directly.
If the disconnects started after a recent update, try Roll Back Driver instead (this option appears if a previous driver exists).

I've seen many cases where rolling back to an older driver is the real fix because the newest one is buggy. Don't be afraid to go backward.

Fix 3: Disable IPv6 on the Adapter

IPv6 is great, but some routers and ISPs handle it poorly, and Windows can get confused when transitioning between IPv4 and IPv6, causing a drop.

Open Control Panel (type it in the start menu).
Go to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
Click Change adapter settings on the left.
Right-click your ethernet connection and select Properties.
Uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).
Click OK and reboot.

This won't hurt anything—most networks run fine on IPv4 alone. If you're not sure whether you need IPv6, you don't.

Fix 4: Reset the Network Stack

If the above didn't help, there might be corrupted network settings. Resetting the whole stack is a bit nuclear, but it's effective.

Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
Run these commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

Restart your PC.

This clears out any bad settings and forces everything to start fresh. It's fixed connections that nothing else could touch.

Fix 5: Check the Cable and Router (Yes, Really)

I know it sounds obvious, but I've spent an hour tweaking software only to find a loose cable. Here's the deal:

Unplug and replug the ethernet cable—both ends—and listen for the click.
Try a different cable if you have one. Cheaper cables fail under load.
Reboot your router and modem. Sometimes they just need a breather.

This is especially relevant if the drops happen only when you're downloading or streaming heavy content. That points to a physical link issue.

If Nothing Works: Try a System Restore

Rarely, a recent Windows update breaks networking. If the problem started after a feature update, do a System Restore to a point before that update.

Search for System Restore and open the result.
Choose a restore point dated before the issues began.
Run the restore. Your files stay intact, but installed programs might get removed.

I'd only do this if nothing else worked, but it does work sometimes.

Prevention: Keep It Stable Going Forward

Set a recurring reminder to check for driver updates every couple of months—don't rely on Windows Update for this.
Use a quality Cat6 ethernet cable if you're running long distances or through walls.

I know these steps seem like a lot, but most people find the fix in the first two. Start there and work your way down. You'll be back to a stable connection in no time.