Fix a “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP Configuration” Error

Many Windows 10 users are seeing the error message “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” when using their Wi-Fi network.

While there is no automatic fix for this solution, you can fix this error manually using the various easy step-by-step solutions in this guide.

 

Ways to fix “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration”

There are quite a few ways in which you can fix this error easily.

Below are the simple solutions that will help you solve your Wi-Fi issues without needing any expert’s help.

Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration

 

Solution 1: Release and Renew IP Address

According to many users, their Wi-Fi issues were solved after releasing and renewing the IP address they previously had.  Read and follow the simple instructions below to fix your Wi-Fi issues on Windows 10.

  • Press Windows Logo Key + X and click on the Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the pop-up list
  • Now in the PowerShell Window, type ipconfig/release and then press Enter
  • Wait for the process to finish
  • Then in the new line, type ipconfig/renew and then press Enter
  • Again, wait for the process to finish and then type Exit and press Enter to exit the PowerShell Window

Once done, restart your computer and see if your Wi-Fi network is working. In most cases, this solves the problems related to the Wi-Fi network in Windows 10. However, if it doesn’t work, then read and proceed with the next solution.

 

Solution 2: Reset TCP/IP

Resetting your TCP/IP is one of the simplest ways to fix this network error. Follow the instructions below to easily reset the TCP/IP settings on your Windows 10 computer.

  • Press Windows Logo Key + X and then select Command Prompt (Admin) from the pop-up list
  • Once the Command Prompt is open, type in the command netsh winsock reset and press Enter
  • Wait for the process to finish; this will reset the Winsock protocol on your Windows 10 computer
  • Once done, type in netsh int tcp reset and then press Enter
  • Wait for the process to finish; this will reset your TCP settings on your computer
  • Now type in netsh int ip reset and then press Enter
  • Wait for the process to finish; this will reset your IP settings on your computer
  • Once the process finishes, type Exit and then press Enter to exit the Command Prompt

Now, restart your computer and check to see if your Wi-Fi has started working. Most of the time, doing so fixes the computer of all network-related errors.

However, if your Wi-Fi is still not working, then check and make sure that the Wired Autoconfig service and the WLAN Autoconfig service are running and their start-up type is set to Automatically. To do so, follow the steps below:

    • Press Windows Logo Key + R to launch the Run application
    • In the dialogue box, type msc and then press Enter
    • Now, in the window opened, look for Wired Autoconfig and double-click it to launch its properties
    • Make sure that the Startup type is Automatic and the Service status is Running
    • Once done, click on Apply and close the properties window
    • Now, look for WLAN Autoconfig and then double-click it to launch its properties windowWired Autoconfig Properties
    • Again, make sure that the Startup type is Automatic and the Service status is Running

 

 

 

  • Once done, click the Apply button and exit the properties window
  • Go back to the home screen and check to see if the problem is solved

If this solution does not solve your “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error, then proceed to the next solution.

 

Solution 3: Uninstall Wireless Adapter Driver

Sometimes, the cause of the problem can be a faulty network driver.

In this case, uninstalling the wireless adapter driver and then allowing Windows to reinstall it can fix the corrupted network driver, solving the network issue at hand.

Follow the instructions below:

  • Press Windows Logo Key + X and then click on Device Manager from the pop-up list
  • Look for Network adapters and then click on it to expand the category
  • From the list, locate the wireless device; right-click on it and then click on Uninstall
  • If asked for confirmation, click on OK to proceed. Also, if you see an option reading Delete the driver software for this device, then check the box next to it and then click on OK

Once done, close all open applications and restart your computer. After rebooting, see if your Wi-Fi has started working or not.

If the previous two solutions haven’t worked, this should solve your Wi-Fi network issues. However, if not, then proceed to the next solution.

 

Solution 4: Manually Set IP Address

If you have a private home network with several devices connected to it, then each of the devices will have an IP address assigned automatically.

Therefore, manually fixing the IP address of the computer with the error can solve the problem.

Follow the steps below to manually set the IP address.

      • Press Windows Logo Key + X and then click on the Settings option
      • Now double-click on Network & Internet
      • Look for Change adapter options and then double-click on it
      • Find your Wi-Fi connection and then right-click on it and select Properties
      • In the Properties window, select the item that says Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then click on Properties
      • In the new Properties window, click on Use the following IP address
      • Set the IP address to 168,1.x (you can keep any value of x; if you are not sure what to use, then set the x value to 14)
      • Now set the Subnet mask to 255.255.0 and set the Default gateway to 192.168.1.1
      • Click on Use the following DNS server addresses and set the Preferred DNS server to 67.222.222 and set the Alternate DNS server to 208.67.220.220
      • Finally, click OK, then close all open applications and restart your computer

     

    Manually Set IP Address

If none of the other solutions have worked, this should solve your computer’s Wi-Fi network issue.

 

Conclusion

The “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error is an annoying network error being faced by many Windows 10 users. Users are unable to access the Internet due to this error and even troubleshooting it is not very effective.

However, it is completely possible to fix this network issue manually. You can use any of the provided solutions in this simple step-by-step guide to get rid of your Windows 10 Wi-Fi issues without depending on an expert’s help.