Sometimes you may encounter the “WiFi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error when connecting to a wireless network.
This error message indicates that the device cannot obtain a valid IP address from the router, which is essential for accessing the internet.
In this guide, we will explore the common reasons behind this error, and provide step-by-step solutions to help you resolve the error and get back online.
What Does “WiFi Doesn’t Have a Valid IP Configuration” Mean?
When you encounter the error message “WiFi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration,” it means that your device cannot obtain a valid IP address from the router or DHCP server.
A router connects your device’s network to the internet by assigning an IP address to your wireless network adapter on your device so that they can connect. However, if your router doesn’t run properly, your wireless network adapter may not connect to the same IP address and can’t work.
This error can occur due to various reasons such as network adapter issues, router configuration problems, DHCP server issues, or IP address conflicts. Resolving this error involves troubleshooting the underlying cause and ensuring that your device obtains a valid IP address to establish a stable internet connection.
Related: How to Share WiFi Password on iPhone, Android, PC, Mac
What Causes the “WiFi Doesn’t Have a Valid IP Configuration” Error?
If the router’s IP address doesn’t match the IP address reported by the wireless network adapter, the error may occur. Here are the causes of the issue.
The network is unidentified: This problem may arise while attempting to resolve your WiFi connection using the built-in troubleshooter. An issue likely occurred with network identification, preventing your system from connecting successfully.
Your device is not connected to the Internet: If your Windows 10/11 is not connected to the Internet, it may cause the “WiFi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error.
There is a driver problem: If your device’s drivers are outdated, damaged, missing, or corrupt, the WiFi might not have a valid IP configuration.
The device is attacked by third-party antivirus: If you have downloaded a third-party antivirus on your device, it might cause software conflict or interference.
Don’t worry, the troubleshooting steps are listed for you to solve your problems.
6 Solutions to Fix “WiFi Doesn’t Have a Valid IP Configuration”
Here are the troubleshooting steps for you to solve the issue.
1. Restart the Router
You can restart the router to address the issue.
- You can switch off the power button of your router that is usually at the back of it.
- Now switch the power button on.
- You may need to wait 30 minutes to let your router automatically reassign an IP address to your wireless network adapter. Then, you can check if it is solved.
2. Reset IP Configuration
You can reset your IP configuration on the network adapter to see if the problem is solved.
- Press “Windows+R” on your keyboard to open the “Run” page.
- Enter the “cmd” without the quotation marks.
- Press “Enter” and open the “command prompt” window.
- Input “ipconfig /release,” “ipconfig /all,” and “ipconfig /renew” without quotation marks. Make sure that you press the “Enter” key after inputting each command.
- Then, type in the “netsh int ip set dns” and “netsh winsock reset” without quotation marks. Remember to press the “Enter” key after each one.
- Exit and restart your computer. Now your IP address may be successfully reset. Check if your device is connected to the internet.
3. Update the Wireless Network Adapter Drivers
The outdated wireless network adapter drivers may cause problems sometimes. You can update it to fix the “WiFi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error on Windows 10/11.
- Press the “Windows+X” key on your keyboard and choose “Device Manager” on the “Context” page.
- Click “Network Adapter” on the “Device Manager” page and see the tab below.
- Click the network adapter you’re using.
- Then, click the “Update Driver” button.
- Select a method to update your driver: “Search automatically for drivers” or “Browse my computer for drivers”.
- Then, wait until your computer updates the driver automatically. You may need to restart your computer and see if this method works.
4. Temporarily Disable Your Antivirus
The antivirus might regard your software or drivers as malware and attack them. This will cause the IP configuration error. Here are the steps to temporarily disable your antivirus.
- Click the Windows Search icon on your device which is at the left bottom of the screen.
- Type in “Task Manager” and press the “Enter” key.
- Click the “More Details” button if your Task Manager is in compact mode.
- Switch to the “Start-up” tab located at the top of the new window.
- Find your antivirus application and click on it.
- Click the “Disable” button at the right bottom of the window.
- Then, restart your device and see if the problem is solved.
5. Assign IP Addresses Manually
Assign IP addresses manually on Windows 10:
- Click the Windows Search icon and type in “Network connection”. Then, click the option.
- Click “Change adapter option”.
- Right-click on your Wi-Fi connection and select “Properties”.
- Right-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and choose “Properties”.
- Select “Use the following IP address” and type in your subnet mask, IP address, default gateway, preferred DNS server, and alternate DNS server.
- Then, click “OK” and restart your device to see if the problem is addressed.
Assign IP addresses manually on Windows 11:
- Click the “Windows” button at the left bottom of your screen or press “Windows” and 1 keyword shortcut to open the settings.
- Then, click “Network and connection” and choose “WiFi”.
- Click “Edit” beside the IP assignment.
- Then, click “IPv4”.
- Input your preferred IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, preferred DNS (required), and alternate DNS (optional).
- Switch off “DNS over HTTP” for both the preferred and alternate addresses.
6. Use a Reliable VPN to Get an IP Address
A good VPN can help you get an IP address and solve the “WiFi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error. You can follow the steps here to have a VPN. Here I recommend LightningX VPN because:
- LightningX VPN has more than 2,000 servers in 50+ countries. You can change your IP address to anywhere.
- It is completely secure with its encryption protocols such as Shadowsocks, Vless, and WireGuard, employing strong encryption algorithms like AES-256-GCM and ChaCha20-Poly1305. Your data is encrypted.
- Without bandwidth throttling, you can watch videos and films with no buffering.
- It supports devices like Android, iPhone, Windows, Android TV, Apple TV, and Mac.
Steps of how to download and use it.
- Download the LightningX VPN from the Google Play Store/App Store/official website on your iPhone/Android/Windows/Mac.
- After downloading and installing the app, sign up for an account.
- Notice if there’s a free trial for you and use it.
- Open the app and choose the nearest VPN server because it offers you a more stable and fast network.
- Tap the Start button to connect. Now your phone may be connected to the network because it has a new IP address.
Final Word
The “WiFi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error may be caused by an unidentified network, no internet connection, driver problem, or antivirus application.
By following the troubleshooting steps above, you may be able to troubleshoot the problem. However, if you’re using the Ethernet instead of the Internet, you may choose other methods to solve the “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error.
