Wi-Fi Doesn’t Have a Valid IP Configuration – Fixed

Are you currently having connectivity issues? Did you run the Network Troubleshooter? It’s not uncommon for users to encounter “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” as an identified problem when using this tool.

In the vast majority of cases, this problem can be resolved, by a simple system restart. However, if for whatever reason, this fails to fix the problem, then there could be something more insidious at play.

IP addresses are a form of online identification that allows network devices to identify and communicate with one another. With a websites assigned IP address, it’s possible to conduct an IP lookup, to see all its publicly available information.

The role of your router is to provide a gateway between the home network and the World Wide Web. It does this, by assigning private IP addresses for all devices on the home network. Depending on how you connect to the internet (wired or wirelesses), this process will determine whether or not you are able to connect to the web.

However, errors and issues can occur, perhaps as a result of a Windows update, or an abrupt shutdown, or possibly an issue with the router itself. The end result could be a device being assigned an incorrect IP address.

In this particular situation, your Wi-Fi adapter may have an IP address that has already been assigned to another device. Such an occurrence can trigger a “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error message.

So, what can you do to fix it? A number of things. But before we get to the solutions, let’s look more closely into its common causes.

What Causes “Wi-Fi Doesn’t Have a Valid IP Configuration” Errors?

The “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error notification will appear when a device, in this particular case, your Wi-Fi adapter, has been assigned an invalid IP address.

This error prevents the end user from connecting to the net. The most common causes of this error, are as follows:

• TCP/IP Stack Corruption: The TCP/IP stack are a series of protocols that govern and determine how data is sent and received over the net. When this becomes corrupted, it can result in connection problems.
• NIC Driver corruption: You may encounter IP configuration issues when the drivers for your NIC device are corrupted (or outdated).
• DHCP error: DHCP is short for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, it’s a feature within the router that is tasked with assigning the various IP addresses to the different devices. Thus, if this component encounters a problem, then it may fail to assign an IP address, or assign the same IP address to two different devices.

All-in-all, these are the most common (though not exclusive) causes for this problem. So what can you do? Continue reading, and you’ll find out.

How to Fix It

As previously noted, in many instances the “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error is as a result of a fault (DHCP) within the router. To fix this issue, the end user will need to restart the router.

It’s a fairly simple process, just:

1. Unplug the router.
2. Wait at least 60 seconds.
3. Then plug the router back in again.

Once it’s finished rebooting, and re-establishing a connection to the internet. You can then verify, whether or not it has fixed the problem.

Restart Wireless Adapter

Another simple fix you may want to try, entails restarting your wireless adapter. If it was assigned an incorrect or invalid IP address, then restarting it, will force the router to reassign a new one.

To do that, follow the steps below:

1. First, boot into your system as a full administrator.

2. Now, press + R, type ncpa.cpl and click on OK.

3. When Network Connections pops up, right-click on Wi-Fi and select Disable.

Note: Now wait at least 60 seconds.

4. Right-click on the same Wi-Fi and select Enable.

Update NIC Drivers to Fix “Wi-Fi Doesn’t Have a Valid IP Configuration” Errors

Your NIC card(s) requires the appropriate drivers to properly function. These drivers may be updated from time to time, to fix certain vulnerabilities and known security loopholes. In certain instances, a mishap could occur, resulting in a generic driver set being assigned to your NIC device.

Manufacturers are constantly checking, evaluating and updating the drivers for their devices. However, it’s always best to have the original driver set available.

That said, when it comes to the “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error it’s possible an outdated or corrupted driver is to blame. As the end user, you should thus, consider updating your driver(s), if possible.

To do that, you will need to know the make and model of your network device and download the appropriate drivers from the manufacturer’s website.

Alternatively, if you are unable to acquire this information, you can use the download automation tool DriverFinder. Simply, download and run it, and it’ll do the rest.

For more information on DriverFinder, please visit the link below:

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT DRIVERFINDER

The solution(s) below are for ADVANCED level computer users. If you are a beginner to intermediate computer user, I highly recommend you use the automated tool(s) above!

Renew IP Lease

If the solutions outlined above failed to fix the “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error, then you may want to consider forcing the system to renew its IP lease. To do this, you will need to use Command Prompt.

The steps are as follows:

1. First, boot into your system as an admin.

2. Now press + R, type cmd and press CTRL + Shift + Enter.

3. When Command Prompt loads up, type the following commands, pressing Enter after each line.

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /flushdns 
ipconfig /renew

Remove Custom IP Address

Did you recently configure your wireless device to use a custom DNS or IP address? If so, maybe you should consider switching it back to the default “obtain automatically…” setting.

For step-by-step instructions on how to do that, visit my post titled: Windows Can’t Communicate with the Device or Resource.

Change SSID & Password

Another method you may want to consider trying to fix the “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error involves changing the password and SSID of your router. In order to do that, you will need access to your router settings menu.

Note: To access the menu, you need your Username and Password.

The exact instructions will vary, depending on router brand and version.

But, ultimately, you’ll want to do something like the following:

1. Access the router log-in via your browser (Chrome, Edge or Firefox) Window.

Note: This is oftentimes done by typing the IP address of the router in the URL Window.

2. Next, enter the routers Username and Password.

3. From within the Menu, you should be able to find a setting that will allow you to change your SSID and its assigned password.

4. Once you’ve done that, save changes, then verify that the problem has been fixed.

Note: You will need to update all devices that connect to the router, with the new SSID and password to establish a Wi-Fi connection to it.

Reset Network Settings

Another possible cause of the “Wi-Fi doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error is corrupted network settings. You’re network architecture is made up of a series of components, and the corruption of any one of these, could hamper your internet experience.

Thus, as a possible solution, you may want to consider resetting everything. You can find the necessary steps on how to do this, from my post titled: Windows Could Not Find a Driver for Your Network Adapter.

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