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There have been a lot of complaints from Windows 10 users regarding this issue.
The problem occurs when a user tries to connect to a WiFi network and gets an error message. Troubleshooting is supposed to recognize the nature of the problem and suggest solutions. However, in this case, the user will get a message that goes like this ‘WiFi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration.’ It will have to be resolved manually.
There are many possible causes of this issue: improper or inaccurate network settings or network drivers, for instance.
In this article, you will find 5 possible ways to fix this issue. Hopefully one of these will help you. Start from the top. If the first one doesn’t work for you, try number two, and so on.
1. Renew and Release Your IP Address
Sometimes, the ‘WiFi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration’ message will show up when there are network problems. This issue is easily fixed.
Although this solution worked for many users, and it’s the simplest one, it might not work for you if the problem is deeper.
Here are the steps:
1) Open Command Prompt as an administrator. In Windows 10, you can do so by pressing the Windows key and X or by clicking on Command Prompt (Admin) in the pop-up menu.
2) Type ipconfig /release in the Command Prompt and hit Enter.
3) Do that again, but with ipconfig/renew typed in.
4) Then type exit and press Enter.
2. Reset TCP/IP
Use the following steps:
1) Open Command Prompt again (you can do so by pressing the Windows key and X or by clicking on Command Prompt (Admin) in the pop-up menu).
2) After the Command Prompt has opened, type netsh winsock reset and press Enter.
3) Now type netsh int ip reset and hit Enter.
4) Restart your computer and try connecting to the WiFi again.
If the issue is still there, check if the WLAN and Wired autoconfig services are running, as well as if their startup type is set to ‘automatic.’ You can check it by doing this:
1) Press the Windows key and R simultaneously to open the ‘Run’ box.
2) Type services.msc and select OK.
3) Find Wired Autoconfig and double-click it. You’ll open the Properties window.
4) Make sure the Startup type is set to ‘Automatic’ and the Service status to ‘Running.’ Select Apply.
5) Then double-click WLAN Autoconfig.
6) Do the same as with Wired Autoconfig – set the Startup type and Service status correctly. Then select Apply.
7) See if the problem is still there.
3. Uninstall the WiFi Driver
There is a possibility that the issue was caused by an incorrect network driver. In that case, you need to uninstall the adapter driver and let Windows install the driver again.
Follow these steps to do so:
1) Open Device Manager. You can find it in the Control Panel, or just by typing it in the Windows search bar.
2) Expand the Network Adapter category and click on ‘Uninstall.’ If you can see the “Delete the driver software for this device” option in the bottom corner, check it first. Then select OK to confirm.
3) Restart your computer.
If this doesn’t work for you either, you can try updating your drivers.
4. Update Drivers
Updating drivers can be a very complicated and exhausting process. However, there’s a program that can help you do so easily – Driver Easy.
This program will find the right drivers for your computer and install them. And the best part is – you don’t have to do anything or worry about making a mistake. Driver Easy will do everything.
1) Download Driver Easy and install it.
2) Run the program and click on Scan Now. Then the program will scan for any problematic drivers.
3) After the scan, you’ll see a list of drivers which you should update.
4) Click on Update option next to the driver. Do so for each and every one. If you have the Pro version, you can select the Update All option.
5. Set Your Own IP Address
When there’s a network with more than one computer connected to it, each computer gets its own IP address automatically. So, in case of a network error such as the one we’re talking about in this article, the best solution is to manually change the IP address.
Here are the steps to do so:
1) Open the Control Panel.
2) Find and select Network and Sharing Center.
3) Click on Change adapter settings, which is usually on the left side of the panel.
4) Right-click on the problematic WiFi network and select Properties.
5) Then click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and select Properties again.
6) Check ‘Use the following IP address’ and set it to 192.168.1.x (x being any digit you want). I recommend using 192.168,1.14. Set the Subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 and the IP gateway to 192.168.1.1.
7) Then also check the ‘Use the following DNS server addresses’ option and set the Preferred DNS server to 208.67.222.222. Alternate DNS server should be 208.67.220.220.
8) Select OK.