Sometimes you may be surprised after turning on your computer that the internet isn't working, and when you run a scan using the Windows built-in internet troubleshooting tool, you may see the message "Ethernet Doesn't Have a Valid IP Configuration". This problem is very common on all Windows operating systems, and it doesn't necessarily mean that you did something wrong. It may appear on your device for reasons beyond your control. In general, follow the following lines, where we will provide you with the effective steps to get rid of this problem so that the internet can work again and this message disappears.
Fix the Ethernet Doesn't Have a Valid IP Configuration Error:
1- Restart your Device:
The first intuitive solution that you should follow is to restart your device. This is a very effective solution to solve this problem, as Windows will use a new IP to connect to the internet through the router.
2- Check the Ethernet Cable:
Make sure the Ethernet cable is intact by inspecting it carefully and verifying its condition. Then, you can connect the Ethernet cable to any other port on your device other than the one currently in use to eliminate the possibility of a problem with the internet cable itself.
3- Restart the Router:
The "Ethernet Doesn't Have a Valid IP Configuration" problem might be caused by the router itself. Therefore, we will restart the router, but keep in mind that you shouldn't turn the router back on until at least 30 seconds have passed. This ensures that the router restart process is effective in resolving the issue.
4- Configure IPv4 Settings:
The default setting in any Windows operating system is that your device obtains an IP address automatically. This means that your computer automatically connects to the internet using an IP address assigned by the router without any intervention from you. However, there may be times when your computer can't connect to the internet and the message "Ethernet Doesn't Have a Valid IP Configuration" appears. In this case, we will manually assign a new IP to the computer from the "IPv4" properties window.
First press on the Windows key + "R" key at the same time on your keyboard to open the Run window. Then type the command "ncpa.cpl" on it and press on the "ENTER" key. The Network Connections window will be opened, and on it right-click the internet network you use and click on the properties option as you see in the next image.
The Ethernet Properties window will be opened, and all you need to do is to click once on the option "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)", then click on the "Properties" button.
The Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) window will be opened, and in this window mark the two options "Use the following IP address" and "Use the following DNS server addresses" as you see in the next image. Then write a new IP for your device in the "IP address" box and write the link of the router login page at the "Default gateway" box. Below write the DNS server addresses as you see.
Notes:
- You will find the router login page link or Default gateway written on the back of your router.
- In the “IP address" field, enter the "Default gateway" but change the last number to any number of your choice.
If you facing the "Ethernet Doesn't Have a Valid IP Configuration" error and you was using a manual IP address before, you can mark the option "Obtain an IP Address Automatically" and mark the option "Obtain DNS Server Address Automatically" as you can see below, and then click on the "OK" button.
Note: You can in Windows 10 and 11 Configure IPv4 in another way. All you do is to open "Settings", then click on "Network & internet", and from the next window click the "Properties" button. Then click on the "Edit" button beside "IP assignment", and you can make it Automatic or Manual.
5- Reset the Winsock Catalog and the TCP/IP Stack:
If the previous steps didn’t solve the problem, you should perform a Reset to the Winsock Catalog and the TCP/IP Stack, because this will most likely solve the problem.
First you must open the Command Prompt as administrator by typing "CMD" in the Windows search, then right-click on Command Prompt, and then click on the "Run as administrator" option.
To reset the Winsock Catalog, type the command "netsh winsock reset" in the Command Prompt window, and then press ENTER key. You just have to wait until you see a message indicating that the process was successful, and then restart your computer.
The second step is to reset the TCP/IP Stack. To make that type the command "netsh int ip reset" in the Command Prompt windows and then press ENTER key, and as the previous step, wait for a short time and then restart your device.
6- Renew the IP Address from CMD:
This solution is more effective in solving most internet connection issues, especially the problem of IP address conflict for devices connected to the router, and it depends on releasing and renewing your device IP address. This step is done through the Command Prompt "CMD", but you must open it as administrator as the above solution we explained.
First, Write the command "ipconfig /release" in Command Prompt window, then press ENTER.
Write the command "ipconfig /renew", and then press the ENTER key.
7- Flush DNS Cache:
This step resolves some network-related issues, and there isn't enough space to explain how this happens.
We can do that through the Command Prompt, but you must open it as administrator. All you have to do is to type the command "ipconfig /flushdns", and then press the ENTER key, and after flushing the DNS, restart your device. Then you will notice that the Ethernet Doesn't Have a Valid IP Configuration error has been solved.
8- Uninstall the Ethernet Driver and Reinstall it:
If all the above solutions haven't fixed the "Ethernet Doesn't Have a Valid IP Configuration" problem yet, you must try to uninstall the Ethernet Driver from the Device Manager and then reinstall it. This is because sometimes the Ethernet Driver contains a problem that prevents the internet from being connected.
All you need is to open the Device Manager by pressing the "Windows + R" keys at the same time to open the Run window. Then type the command “hdwwiz.cpl” in this window and then press the "ENTER" key.
In the Device Manager click on "Network Adapters" to expand it. Then right-click on the ethernet driver, and from the options click on "Uninstall device". After that you will then need to reinstall the Ethernet driver, after which the internet will work for you without any problems.
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