The “Ethernet does not have the correct IP configuration” error is a common problem with your Internet connection. This means that your computer does not have a valid IP address and therefore cannot access the Internet.
As annoying as this error is, it only requires a quick fix. So here’s how to fix this error and how to prevent it from recurring.
“Ethernet does not have a valid IP configuration” error
Your computer needs a valid IP address before it can communicate with your router and the Internet. If not, you will not be able to access your email, social media, online streaming services, etc.
This error usually occurs when your network card (NIC) has a problem, has a malfunction, is out of date, or just doesn’t want to play ball. Fortunately, there are some simple fixes:
- Restart your system.
- Restart the network adapter.
- Restart your router.
- Run the Network Adapter Troubleshooter.
- Reset Winsock.
- Reinstall or update the driver for your network adapter.
1. Restart your system
The first and easiest way to fix a bad Ethernet configuration is to restart the system. Rebooting your system will reset all your incoming and outgoing connections. While “turn it off and on again” seems like an outdated option, the number of problems that can be fixed is phenomenal.
2. Reset the network adapter
Resetting your network adapter is another way to update your IP address configuration.
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Press Windows Key + I to open the settings window. Enter network status in the search bar and select the first option. Now under “Advanced network settings” select “Change adapter settings”.
Right click on your Ethernet connection (this fix also works for broken Wi-Fi connections) and select Disable. Wait a few seconds, then right-click and select Enable. After enabling the Ethernet connection, you should obtain a new IP address by clearing the invalid IP configuration.
Resetting the network adapter is also a handy way to fix unrecognized network and other Internet problems in Windows 10.
3. Restart your router
Resetting your router can fix several internet connection problems in much the same way as restarting your computer. Regarding the “Ethernet has no valid IP configuration error” message, the reboot gives your router the ability to configure a new IP address for your computer.
Your router may have a power switch, which is usually located on the back of the device. You can turn off the power button, leave it on for a few seconds, and then turn it back on. If your router does not have a power button, you can unplug from the outlet (or unplug if there is no switch in the outlet).
Remember to leave a few seconds between turning off and turning on the router. In these seconds, the IP configuration of the router may be reset, which clears the IP misconfiguration error.
4. Run the Network Adapter Troubleshooter
Windows 10 has built-in troubleshooting tools for many common problems, and the network adapter is one of them.
Press Windows Key + S, enter network adapter and select Find and fix network adapter problems. Now select “Advanced”, then select the “Apply the fix automatically” checkbox and then “Run as administrator”. You may need to enter your Windows password at this point.
Click Next, then select your Ethernet network adapter from the list. Investigate any existing IP misconfiguration questions and use the troubleshooting tool. Different questions may appear depending on the type of problems that the Network Adapter Troubleshooter detects.
5. Winsock Reset
Winsock (Windows Socket) is the main Windows component that handles incoming and outgoing data requests for programs that use the Internet. Basically, Winsock helps you manage your internet connection and the software that wants to use it.
Several commands can be used in conjunction with resetting Winsock to also help reconfigure the Ethernet IP address.
Type Command Prompt in the Start menu search bar, select Best Match, then Run as Administrator. Now enter the following commands one after another, pressing Enter after each entry:
- ipconfig / flushdns
- ipconfig / Renew
- nbtstat – R
- nbtstat –RR
- netsh int ip reset c: resetlog.txt
- netsh winsock reset
After you enter the last command and see a success message, you should restart your computer.
Command Prompt is a powerful Windows tool with many features. Gain more control over your system with the best command line commands every Windows user should know.
6. Reinstall or update the network connection driver
Windows 10 keeps drivers up to date. But you can still run into a driver error. You can manually update drivers related to Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, making sure that this is not the source of your internet connection problems.
Press Windows Key + X, then choose Device Manager from the menu. Select Network adapters to expand the list of network drivers for your device. Find the Ethernet connection driver. The name of the network adapter driver usually indicates which driver you are looking for. For example, the network adapter for my laptop is a Qualcomm Atheros Gigabit Ethernet controller which is easy to understand.
When you find the driver for your Ethernet network adapter, right-click and select Update Driver. Select Search for drivers automatically and Windows will automatically find the best driver on your system. If a more recent driver is found, Windows will install it automatically.
Drivers can cause other problems on your system. If your USB 3.0 ports aren’t working, here’s how to fix them.
Fix Ethernet does not contain valid IP configuration error
These are the five best options for fixing the IP misconfiguration error message. This error is infuriating, especially if you are trying to complete some work or download an important file. However, one of the above fixes should reset the Ethernet IP configuration and restore Internet functionality.
Unfortunately, the IP misconfiguration error is not the only Windows network problem you may encounter. Here’s how to fix the “Unable to update the IP address” error in Windows.
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