Network cable unplugged / NO-CARRIER Networking Origin: Network OSI layer 1 · Physical Last updated 5 Nov 2026

Networking: Network cable unplugged / `ip link` shows NO-CARRIER state DOWN / Ethernet: Network cable unplugged

The network card sees no electrical link, so nothing above it (IP, DNS, browser) can work.

Exact message you may see Network cable unpluggedEthernet: Network cable unpluggedNO-CARRIER state DOWNeth0: link is not readyLink detected: no
Explore the map of this error Full error map →
Seen on: Linux Windows Networking

Meaning

This is layer 1: the NIC reports no carrier. Reseat or replace the cable, try another switch port, check the link LEDs and the wall jack. In Linux NO-CARRIER with state DOWN in ip link means no link; on VMs make sure the virtual cable is connected in the hypervisor.

Common causes

  • Loose, damaged or too-long cable
  • Dead switch port or wall jack
  • Switch port administratively shut down
  • NIC disabled or driver problem
  • Virtual NIC not connected in the VM settings

⚡ Quick fix

  1. Reseat both ends or swap the cable
  2. Try a different switch port or device
  3. Run ip link show / ethtool eth0 and look for Link detected: yes

Detailed fix by platform

Linux

  1. ip -br link show && sudo ethtool eth0 | grep -E "Speed|Duplex|Link detected"

How to diagnose

  1. Link LED — On?
  2. ethtool — Link detected?
  3. Other cable/port — Works?

🔧 Still not fixed?

Many errors look alike. If the steps above didn’t solve it, one of these is probably what you’re facing:

Where this error sits

Origin: Network. Errors that are often confused with or caused by this one (click to open):

arp -a shows (incomplete) — Networking: `arp -n` shows (incomplete) / Destination Host Unreachable — no ARP reply from the next hop (Networking)arp -a shows (incompl…Cannot assign requested address (EADDRNOTAVAIL) — Networking: connect: Cannot assign requested address — ephemeral port range exhausted by TIME_WAIT connections (Networking)Cannot assign request…Duplex mismatch: late collisions / CRC errors — Networking: Duplex mismatch — late collisions, runts and CRC errors on the switch port (Networking)Duplex mismatch: late…ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED — Chrome: No internet — ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED (You are not connected to the internet) (Browser)ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNE…Network is unreachable — connect: Network is unreachable (ENETUNREACH) (Linux)Network is unreachableNo Wi-Fi adapter found / Wi-Fi option missing — Networking: No Wi-Fi networks found — the Wi-Fi adapter is missing, disabled or its driver failed (Networking)No Wi-Fi adapter foun…PING: transmit failed. General failure. — Networking: PING: transmit failed. General failure. / ping: sendmsg: Operation not permitted (Networking)PING: transmit failed…SFP link down / Loss of Signal (LOS) — Networking: Interface down — SFP transceiver Loss of Signal / no receive light (Networking)SFP link down / Loss …Network c…

Explore the map of this error Full error map →

🧠 Still stuck? Analyze your error

Paste the full message, response headers or stack trace — we'll detect the platform and point to the most likely cause.

💬 What worked for others

No tips yet — did something else fix this for you?

Share what worked for you

Tips are checked by an editor before they appear. Links are removed.