If you’re using Windows 10, you may have noticed that your Wi-Fi is not working as expected. In fact, it might even be out of range. The problem is that your Wi-Fi has not been configured with a valid IP address. This means that it cannot communicate with the network and is instead using an IP address from a DHCP server. To fix this, you need to go to the Wi-Fi settings and change the IP address for your Wi-Fi network. You can do this by going to the Network and Sharing Center and clicking on the Change adapter settings button. Then, select theWi-Fi adapter that you want to change the IP address for. Finally, click on the OK button to finish setting up your new Wi-Fi network.

Wi-Fi is a wonderful thing when it works correctly. You can probably carry a device around and still get high-speed access to the internet. But when it misbehaves, fixing Wi-Fi configuration errors on Windows can be a pain. Here are some things you should try.

Restart Your Computer and Router

“Have you tried turning it off and back on again” is the biggest cliche in tech, and for good reason — restarting a computer will often solve a whole slew of problems. In this case, you’ll need to restart both your router and your PC.

Locate your router (or combo unit) and unplug it for a minimum of 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Be sure not to accidentally unplug any Ethernet, fiber, or coaxial connections while you’re fiddling with the power.

Next, you need to restart your computer. The Start menu got a significant cosmetic rework between Windows 10 and Windows 11. Follow the instructions for the version of Windows that you have on your PC.

Windows 10

To restart Windows 10, click the Start button, then click the Power icon on the left, and then click “Restart.”

Windows 11

Click the Start button, click on the Power icon, then click “Restart.”

Reset Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

DHCP should handle acquiring an IP address from your router automatically, however, nothing is perfect. Try forcing your computer to reacquire a new IP address from your router. You’ll need to launch an elevated PowerShell.

Click the Start button, type “powershell” into the search bar, and then click “Run as Administrator.”

Type the following two commands into Powershell:

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

After you run each command you’ll see a bunch of text appear relating to different network adapters. Every computer will be different, depending on what hardware is present. The ipconfig /renew command might take 10, 20, or even 30 seconds to fully run, so don’t panic if it just sits there for a bit before you start seeing things pop up in PowerShell.

Try your connection again.

Reset TCP/IP Stack

Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol, most often referred to as TCP/IP, handles how information is broken into packets and then labeled for delivery. It is critical for most modern Internet traffic, and when something gets corrupted or otherwise messed up, it can cause connection issues.

Launch PowerShell as Administrator, then type the following command into the window to reset the TCP/IP stack.

netsh int ip reset

There will be a bunch of “Resetting, OK!” lines in the PowerShell Window if everything went correctly.

Restart your PC, then check if the error is still happening.

Reset WinSock

WinSock is another part of Windows that allows your PC to communicate with devices on the Internet. WinSock can be responsible for network (including Wi-Fi) errors, and a WinSock reset only takes a few seconds.

Fire up an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell, then type netsh winsock reset into the window.

You will see “Successfully Reset the WinSock Catalog.” After you run the command, restart your computer and try your Wi-Fi again.

Adjust Your PC’s Network Settings and Drivers

Set Automatic DHCP

Your PC will be set to automatically acquire an IP address unless you manually changed it at some point. If you’re getting the “Wi-Fi Doesn’t Have a Valid IP Configuration” error, manually setting your IP could be the origin of the problem.

Click the Start button, type “view network connections” into the search bar, and click “View Network Connections.”

You can also navigate there through the Control Panel if you want — Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center, then click “Change Adapter Settings” in the top left corner.

Locate your Wi-Fi network adapter, right-click it, and hit “Properties.”

Scroll until you find “Internet Protocol Version 4” (IPv4) and “Internet Protocol Version 6” (IPv6). Start by selecting “Internet Protocol Version 4” and then click “Properties.”

Select the option for “Obtain an IP Address Automatically,” and then click “Ok.”

Repeat the process for “Internet Protocol Version 6.” Just keep in mind that IPv6 settings will all display IPv6 addresses, so don’t be concerned if the IP addresses look different.

RELATED: What Is IPv6, and Why Does It Matter?

Update Your Network Drivers

Click the Start button, type “Device Manager” into the search bar, and then hit “Open.”

You’re looking for “Network Adapters” category. Once you find it, click the arrow and expand the list. What you see in the list depends entirely on what hardware and software you’re running — if you have a lot of things that require physical or virtual network adapters, like a VPN, a virtual machine, a physical Ethernet port, and a Wi-Fi adapter — you should expect a pretty busy list.

The Wi-Fi network adapter will probably be named something similar to “Intel(R) Wi-Fi” or “Realtek Wi-Fi,” as they manufacture most of the wireless adapters you’ll find in laptops and motherboards. If you have installed a specific Wi-Fi card, like one from TP-Link or D-Link, look for that instead.

Right-click the adapter and click “Update Drivers.”

Select “Search Automatically for Drivers” and let it search.

If it recommends you install drivers, do it, and then restart your computer.

If you can’t get on the internet to look for drivers, or the drivers Windows fetched automatically didn’t help, you should download and install the drivers from the manufacturer.

You can find the manufacturer’s drivers on the manufacturer’s website. Be careful when searching for drivers, there are plenty of websites that will promise to install all of your drivers and optimize your computer for you — in the best-case scenario, they’re loaded with tons of garbage freeware you probably don’t want and definitely don’t need.

If you have an Intel wireless card, Intel provides a utility to automatically identify the correct drivers for your system.

Factory Reset Your Router

Your router probably isn’t the origin of the problem, so don’t do this until you’ve exhausted all of the other options available to you. Configuring all of your network settings isn’t really fun, so it is best avoided if possible.

RELATED: Beginner Geek: How to Configure Your Router

If you’re out of options, however, you can try it. Locate your router, or your combined unit, and press the recessed button for at least 10 seconds. You might need a paperclip or other narrow object to depress the button.

If that didn’t work, you’re going to have to start trying more unlikely solutions. If you’re running antivirus software and a firewall — be it a third-party antivirus or Microsoft Defender — try disabling them. After that, go down the list and see if any of these solutions help.

RELATED: How to Fix When Wi-Fi Won’t Connect