RED X ON THE WINDOWS INTERNET ICON

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There are many different problems in Windows that are somehow related to the Internet connection. And one of them is a red cross on the icon that displays the status of the Internet connection (as well as on the adapter in the "Network Connections" window). I have to enter the tray icon (in the lower right corner), by which we can determine whether our computer is connected to the network, connected via Wi-Fi, or by cable, whether there is access to the Internet or not.

Depending on the connection method, this red cross can inform us about various problems.

Connection by cable (LAN).
Such an icon can be seen when a network cable is not connected to the computer from a modem, router, or directly from the provider. If the cable is connected, but everything is exactly the LAN connection status with a red cross, then this is already some kind of problem. For example, something with a cable, or the network card itself. The network adapter driver may not be installed.
Wi-Fi connection.
This connection icon is displayed when Wi-Fi is disabled on the laptop. There is a wireless module and the driver is installed, but the wireless network is disabled in the Windows settings, or by the function keys on the laptop keyboard. Or when the wireless network is turned on, but the computer does not see the available networks to which it can connect.

By the way, in Windows 10 this icon is slightly different compared to Windows 7 and Windows 8. But the solutions will be the same. Sometimes I run into a problem when a red cross is drawn on the Internet icon, but the Internet works. It looks like some kind of Windows system glitch. We will also consider the solution to this problem in the article.

Cable connection status with a red cross and the Internet does not work

If earlier the Internet via cable worked, then first I recommend checking the connection of cables and other equipment (I have to enter a router or modem, if any). In the event that the Internet has not yet been connected via cable on this computer, then you need to check if there is a network card in the device manager. Let's start with this.

1Open Device Manager. There are many ways to do this. The easiest one - press the key combination Win + R, copy the commandmmc devmgmt.msc and click Ok.

In the device manager, open the "Network adapters" tab. There should be a network card. Depending on the manufacturer or driver, they can be named differently. Very often it is something like "Realtek PCIe GBE ...".

If there is a network card there and it works fine (there are no arrows and a yellow exclamation mark next to it), then the problem is most likely in the network cable, router, or at the provider.

You may not find the network card in Device Manager. In this case, see if there are unknown devices (on the "Other devices" tab). If so, then it is possible that this is our network card (very often it appears as an Ethernet controller). It just doesn't have a driver installed. You need to download and install it. Here the article which driver is needed for a network card (Ethernet controller) will come in handy.

2Since Windows 7, 8 and even more so Windows 10 almost always automatically installs the driver on the network card, it is quite possible that the problem is not in it. And if the reason for the lack of connection is not in the network card, then it is quite possible that the signal does not reach it. It would be nice to check this by connecting another cable (from a router or provider) to your computer or laptop. So we can understand if the network card is working, and if there are any problems in Windows due to which the connection icon may be crossed out with a red cross.

If the network cable from the provider is connected directly to the computer, then try disconnecting and connecting it back. See if the connector is damaged. Is the cable itself damaged?

If there is another PC / laptop, try connecting the cable to it. You can call your ISP's support and explain the problem. Perhaps the reason is their equipment.

When connecting through a router or modem, you must first restart these devices. If there is another network cable, replace it. Pay attention to whether the indicator on the computer's network card and the indicator on the router (which shows the status of the LAN connection) light up. Try to connect to another LAN port (there are usually 4 of them on a router).

Not infrequently, the reason is that the network carat is simply out of order. If no solutions help, then most likely you will have to buy and connect a new card. It is connected to the PCI slot. If we are talking about a PC. There are external USB Ethernet adapters for laptops.

You can find more solutions to this problem in this article: The network cable is not connected. What to do if it is connected but not working.

3In the first paragraph, I showed how to find the network card in the device manager. Try to remove it from there. Just right click on it and select "Remove device". Confirm uninstallation and restart your computer. You may need to manually install the driver after that. But most likely it will be installed automatically.

Red X on the Wi-Fi network icon

It is still more difficult here, since everyone has different laptops and Wi-Fi adapters, different software, etc. But if you see a wireless icon (even with an error), then this indicates that the system sees the Wi-Fi adapter. This means that the driver is installed (although sometimes it is not working or does not fit your adapter / system). Make sure there are indeed available Wi-Fi networks near you (check on another device if you're not sure).

1 Let's just turn on Wi-Fi. In Windows 10, you need to click on the tray icon and click on the "Wi-Fi" button. You can also check the wireless settings in the parameters.

If there is no button, or it is inactive, then see the solutions in these articles:

Wireless - Disabled in Windows 10. Wi-Fi won't turn on
How to turn on Wi-Fi in Windows 10 when there is no Wi-Fi button and the error "Could not find wireless devices on this computer"

On Windows 7 try enabling via Mobility Center, which can be opened by pressing the Win + X keyboard shortcut. In Windows 10, it can be opened by searching for "Windows Mobility Center".

You can find other solutions in the article How to turn on Wi-Fi on a laptop with Windows 7 and Wireless is turned off - not fixed.

2Be sure to check the keyboard shortcut that is responsible for activating the wireless network on the laptop. On newer laptops, this may be one airplane key. True, it turns on and off the flight mode, but just try to click on it, suddenly it will work and the red cross will disappear, and the Internet will work.

Sometimes you need to install a driver (utility) from your laptop manufacturer's website for the function keys to work. I have prepared detailed instructions for some manufacturers' laptops:

How to turn on Wi-Fi on an ASUS laptop
How to turn on Wi-Fi on a Lenovo laptop

And a general article in which it is written in detail what to do if Wi-Fi does not work on a laptop.

And sometimes the reason is that the WLAN autoconfiguration service is disabled, which you need to enable. I wrote here how to do it. This is especially true not for laptops, but for stationary computers with Wi-Fi adapters.

Internet is working but the icon shows that there is no connection

I recently encountered a similar problem myself in Windows 7. In the Network Connections window, next to Local Area Connection (in Windows 10 - Ethernet) it said “Connected”, and there was a red cross next to the tray icon. However, in my case, the Internet did not work. The problem was a component that appeared in the connection properties after installing one program, which I just disabled. After that, the icon with the connection status in the tray became normal and everything worked. I wrote about this in a separate article: LAN or Ethernet connection - "Connected", but the Internet does not work (red cross).

Another solution is to remove the network card in Device Manager.