How to Fix “WiFi Doesn’t Have a Valid IP Configuration” on Windows 10?

Internet connections can stop working when your Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration. Invalid IP configurations in Windows 10 systems can render your computer as useless.

You can’t stay connected to the internet with no valid IP configuration on Windows 10. So, you need to fix this problem by trying out the solutions given below.

1. Restore a New IP Address

First, you should try assigning a new IP address manually. Try this method before using any of the following options.

• Open the Command Prompt program on your Windows 10
• Type the following command – ipconfig/release
• Press the Enter key
• Once the process is complete, type another command – ipconfig/renew
• Hit the Enter key again

The IP address of your Wi-Fi router has been successfully renewed.

Renewing the IP address may fix the issue instantly, so you won’t need to go for below option. But, if this hasn’t fixed the problem, there are other ways to solve it.

2. Reinstall your Network Adapter

To ensure that your network adapter is not malfunctioning, you can reinstall it to see if it has fixed the problem.

• Open the Control Panel window on your system
• Go to the Device Manager option and click on it to open the window
• In the Device Manager window, select your network adapter
• Right-click on the adapter and select “ Uninstall ” from the dropdown menu

After the driver is completely installed, go to the Device Manager window again. On the top corner of the window, there will be the “Action” option. It is right next to the “File” option. Click on it and select “Scan for Hardware Changes”.

Your system detects that a network adapter is missing. It will reinstall the driver automatically.

Reinstalling the network adapter resets the IP configuration of your Wi-Fi router. Your network connection gets a valid IP address.

3. Get Updates for Network Driver

Check for updates. That’s the easiest solution to fix your connection problem. Most networking connectivity issues are a result of an un-updated network adapter.

• Open the Control Panel on your Windows 10
• Go to Device Manager and click on it to open the window
• In the Device Manager window, select your network adapter from the list
• Right-click on it and click on “ Update ” from the dropdown menu

Once the update is complete, remove the Ethernet cable and try to reconnect to your Wi-Fi router.

4. Run a Proxy

Invalid IP configuration of your Wi-Fi router can be fixed by manually assigning an IP address.

• Open the Control Panel on your Windows 10
• Go to “ Network and Sharing Center ”
• Click on the option – “ View Network Connections ”
• Right-click on the network
• Select “ Properties ” from the dropdown menu
• Click on the Networking tab in the Properties window
• Select the TCP/IPv4 option and click on it
• In the new window, choose the “ Use the following IP address ” option
• Fill in the IP address and click OK to save it

5. Disable Your Network

Disabling your wireless network is a simple way of fixing the “Wi-Fi router does not have a valid IP configuration” problem.

You won’t be disabling your network for a long time. You need to simply disable it for a few minutes and enable it back again.

• Go to the search box in Windows 10 Start menu
• Type “ Device Manager ” and press Enter
• Select the Device Manager program and click on it
• In the Device Manager window, navigate through the list and select your network adapter
• Right-click on it and click on “ Disable ” from the dropdown menu

After your network has been disabled, you can follow the same method to enable it. Just wait for a few minutes so that the adapter gets rebooted before your enable it.

6. Fix the “Winsock” Issue

In some cases, your connection issue can be resolved by resetting your Winsock. Invalid IP configuration in Windows 10 could be a result of Winsock malfunctioning with Wi-Fi requests.

Winsock is a supporting program that manages the input and output requests of internet applications in Windows 10. The Winsock interface is responsible for exchanging data between multiple processes within a computer or across a network.

For resetting the Winsock program,

• Ensure that you are logged into your computer with administrator account
• Go to the Start menu in Windows 10
• Type ‘ cmd ’ in the search box and press Enter
• Select the Command Prompt program from the list
• Double-click on it to open the Command Prompt window
• Type the following command – NETSH WINSOCK RESET
• Press the Enter key
• After the reset process is complete, close the Command Prompt window
• Restart your computer

Now, try reconnecting to your Wi-Fi network.

7. Add a Gateway to Your Router

There’s another potential solution to fix your Wi-Fi’s invalid configuration in Windows 10. Adding a default gateway to your Wi-Fi router can resolve the issue, and essentially boost the internet connection for your PC.

To add a default gateway to your router,

• Go to the Network and Sharing Center on your Windows 10 Control Panel
• Click on “ Change Adapter Settings ”
• Right-click on your network adapter
• Go to Properties
• Choose the IPv4 option
• Go to the related “ Properties ” option
• Click on “ Advanced ”
• Select the “ Add… ” option
• Enter the address of your router in the box for “ Default Gateway ”

To find the IP address of your router,

• Open the Command Prompt window from Start menu
• Type the command – ipconfig
• Press the Enter key
• IP address of the default gateway is listed in the window

Note that address and enter it as it while adding a default gateway to your Wi-Fi router. Click on “OK” in the Advanced TCP/IP Settings window.

Close all windows and try reconnecting again.

8. View Events within Your Drivers

Any recent errors or changes on your Windows 10 system could have resulted into the invalid IP configuration of your Wi-Fi network.

You can view these events, check if any of them have affected your network driver settings, and fix them.

• Select your Network Adapter from the Device Manager window
• Right-click on it and open the Properties window
• Go the “ Events ” tab

Try to spot the error that could be causing this problem.

You can also try restoring your Windows 10 if the above methods don’t solve the connection issue.