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My WiFi icon at the bottom of my screen keeps changing to ethernet icon even though its only connected via WiFi. Why is the happening on both of my PCs.

This issue has been happening on both of my PCs one is Windows 10 and the other Windows 11 and its been happening for months. I fear that my PCs may be at risk of being infected with a virus but I have Norton installed and they say that I should contact Windows for a solution as they believe it may be a glitch. I however believe that someone may be trying to access my PCs remotely.

The issue that I am facing is that the WiFi icon always shows that it is ethernet and then change back to WiFi randomly when ethernet is never used at all. I don't use ethernet connections at home and only use WiFi. I don't understand how it can be just a glitch on both my computers seeing as they are both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Just now it is saying that it is WiFi on my Windows 10 PC but when I was on to Norton earlier it stated, I was on ethernet.

Why do my WiFi signals keep reading as ethernet then changing again back to WiFi. On my Windows 10 computer its a hit and miss on which icon appears but mostly its ethernet. But on my Windows 11 PC between the times of 11am-3.30pm it shows as WiFi signal but anything outside of that it will say it is ethernet. I'd also like to add for a while I could not access VPN on my computer as it said another one was running already when there wasn't. But this issue appears to have sorted out itself and I can now run a VPN on my PCs.

Please could someone help me to sort this issue and reassure me that it is not a virus and just simply a glitch.

Hello, Buzbybumble

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

It is possible that the issues of WiFi showing as Ethernet and the system indicating another VPN is running are related, both caused by residual virtual network adapters from other VPN connections. Virtual network adapters can sometimes remain in the system after uninstalling VPN software or disconnecting a VPN connection, preventing another VPN from running. These virtual network adapters can also interfere with the system's recognition of the actual network connection, causing WiFi to be incorrectly identified as an Ethernet connection. Please try manually cleaning up the virtual network adapters:

  1. Device Manager:

    • Press Win + X and select "Device Manager".

    • Expand the "Network adapters" list, find and right-click the unnecessary virtual network adapters, and select "Uninstall device".

  2. Network Connection Settings:

    • Press Win + R to open the "Run" dialog box.

    • Type ncpa.cpl and press Enter.

    • Right-click the unnecessary VPN connections and virtual network adapters and delete them.

  3. Command Prompt:

    • Search for "Command Prompt" in the Start menu and run it as an administrator.

    • Enter the following command to view all network adapters:

      netsh interface show interface

    • Use the following command to delete unnecessary adapters (replace  with the adapter name):

      netsh interface delete interface "

Other things you can do:

  • Update the network adapter driver from the manufacturer's website.

  • Update Windows.

  • Uninstall and reinstall the VPN software.

  • Temporarily disable security software (like Norton). Sometimes, security software can interfere with network connections. Remember to re-enable it after testing to keep your device secure.

Yuhao L

Microsoft Community Technical Support

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Question Info

Last updated April 17, 2025 Views 236 Applies to: