Fix: Ethernet Doesn’t Have A Valid IP Configuration

If you get the "Ethernet doesn't have a valid IP configuration" error on Windows 10 or 11, this guide is for you. We show you how to fix it with ease.

The “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error affects a lot of Windows 10 or 11 users. As it’s considered to be a more complex problem and somewhat on the techy side, not everyone has the necessary knowledge to fix it.  

There are numerous forum posts and threads by users asking for clarity on how to overcome this problem. What makes it difficult to deal with are the numerous possible causes and the amount of effort required to troubleshoot and attempt all the potential solutions.

To reduce that effort, we have gathered the most efficient fixes, and we will walk you through them step-by-step in this guide.

Without further delay, here’s how to resolve the Windows 10/11 “Ethernet doesn’t hold a valid IP configuration” problem.

Ethernet doesnt have valid IP config

Table of ContentsShow

Things To Try Before Moving On

Sometimes, the simplest methods to solve a problem can end up helping us the most. As this particular issue can have many different causes, as mentioned in the introduction, we recommend trying the following things first:

  • Restart your router. You can do this physically by pressing the on/off button. Once the router is powered off, wait five minutes, then power it back on and wait a few moments until your connection to the internet is re-established. Then, see if the issue persists.
  • Restart your computer. This is self-explanatory, and there are two different methods, either by using Windows’ restart button or by physically powering down your system using the on/off button.
  • Contact your ISP. Contacting your ISP (Internet Service Provider) helped some users resolve this issue, as the ISP fully reset their internet connection remotely as requested by the user, which fixed the problem permanently.
  • Turn off your VPN. Some users reported that having their VPN (Virtual Private Network) active caused strange internet-related issues such as this one. As every VPN is different, turning it off may or may not solve the problem. We can’t guarantee this changing anything, but it’s worth trying as it will only take a few seconds.
  • Try a different network cable. Some users reported that switching to a different network cable, preferably one that’s new and not damaged, helped them overcome this problem. Worth trying if you have a spare cable somewhere handy.  

With that said, if none of these actions helped you fix the problem, you can move on to the slightly more complex ones.

No need to fret, the instructions are presented sequentially to avoid confusion.

Let’s take a look.

Fix 1: Disable The Fast Startup (Fast Boot) Feature

Windows logo

The Windows fast startup feature is useful for power users, especially if you often find yourself shutting down your PC and restarting it.

The fast startup feature allows you to quickly get back to work without having to wait for your computer to load some potentially unnecessary processes and files. However, it is also known to cause the “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” problem.

Because of this, we, and many other users, recommend disabling the fast startup feature on Windows. If you have a similar process enabled in your BIOS, disable that one as well.

Since each individual has a distinct BIOS, we can’t offer an exact approach for deactivating speedy boot from there. Nevertheless, if you don’t remember enabling it, here’s a straightforward method to deactivate rapid boot in Windows.

  1. Press Windows + S on your keyboard to bring up the search feature, then type in Control Panel and press Enter to initiate the search.
  2. In the top-right corner, where it says “View by”: expand the dropdown menu and choose Large Icons.
  3. Scroll down the panel until you see Power Options, then click it.
  4. On the left side, click the Choose what the power buttons do option.
  5. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
  6. Uncheck the box with the Turn on fast startup (recommended) option, which should be listed first under the shutdown settings category.
  7. Click Save changes at the bottom and restart your PC. After your PC boots up again, the problem should no longer persist.

This helped some users, but it may or may not work for you. If the problem is still there, move on to the next fix, which includes flushing your DNS using Command Prompt.  

Fix 2: Flush Your DNS Using Command Prompt

Flushing your DNS clears cached IP addresses and other entries from your cache, which can help you resolve many internet-related issues.

This isn’t a specific fix for the problem in question but rather a general measure that is often used when users are facing a similar issue as it takes just a few seconds to do and often proves useful.

With that said, it may or may not solve your problem, but it has helped a lot of users and it could do the same for you.

Without further ado, here’s how to do it:

  1. Click on the search button located in the bottom-left corner of your taskbar, right next to the Windows logo. Type in Command Prompt and right-click the first result, then choose Run as administrator.
    right clicking Windows 10 Command Prompt and selecting Run as Administrator
  2. Once the Command Prompt window opens, type in the following command: ipconfig /flushdns, and then press Enter on your keyboard to initialize it. You will see a return message saying your DNS Resolver Cache is successfully flushed, as shown in the image below.
    ipconfig /flushdns, Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache

We suggest restarting your computer after doing the two steps. It’s not necessary, but it’s a good idea if you have some time, particularly if you didn’t restart after the initial solution. Afterwards, check if the issue continues.

Fix 3: Switch Over To Google’s DNS Settings

As stated in Google’s official article covering this topic, there are numerous benefits to using their DNS settings. These include increased performance and better safety.

For some users, switching over to Google’s DNS settings permanently solved the problem.

  1. Click on the search icon on Windows located in the bottom left corner of your taskbar.
    Windows search button
  2. In the search field, type “Settings” and press “Enter” on your keyboard. In the panel that appears, click on the “Network & Internet” category, as shown in the image below.
    Windows Settings Network & Internet
  3. Click the first setting under the “Advanced network settings” category, which says “Change adapter options.”
    Windows Change Adapter Options
  4. You will now see a list of network connections. Right-click the one you’re currently using and select “Properties” in the menu that appears.
    Windows Network Connection Properties
  5. Select “Internet Protocol Version 4” from the list of options, then click “Properties” in the bottom-right corner.
    Properties for Internet Protocol Version 4
  6. In the panel that’s currently on your screen, select the “Use the following DNS server addresses” option. Type the numbers in the field as shown in the image below.
    Windows Use the following DNS server addresses

Note: If you are unable to load the image, here are the values in text form:

  • Preferred DNS Server: 8*8*8*8
  • Alternate DNS Server 8*8*4*4

Complete the process by clicking OK at the bottom of the panel.

The problem should now be gone. If it isn’t, there are still more things you can try, such as performing a Winsock Reset in the command prompt. We cover that in the next section.

Fix 4: Perform A Winsock Reset Using Command Prompt

If your Winsock catalog becomes corrupted, you can reset it using the “netsh winsock reset” command in Command Prompt.

As stated in this Microsoft forum thread by a team member, resetting your Winsock can help you solve a problem that is preventing you from opening websites.

This is quite easy to do and doesn’t take much effort, so take a look at the steps below to get it done quickly.

  1. Press Windows + R on your keyboard. In the box that appears, type “cmd” and hit Enter.
    Note: You might need to run Command Prompt as Administrator for this command. You can do this by right-clicking Command Prompt in the search results and choosing Run as Administrator.
  2. You are now in Command Prompt. Type “netsh winsock reset” and hit Enter.
  3. You will see a returning message saying, “Successfully reset the Winsock Catalog. You must restart the computer in order to complete the reset.”
  4. Restart your PC as the message suggests.

This method solved the problem for a lot of users, and it should work for you too. If it doesn’t, move on to the next section.  

Fix 5: Update Your Network Adapter Driver

In most cases, updating your network adapter driver will solve the “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” problem.

There are several ways to do this, but we recommend the method displayed in the video below. It’s rapid and straightforward to do, especially if you follow the steps provided.

According to the positive feedback in the comment section, this method helped many users permanently fix the issue, and chances are it will work for you too.

The video also contains a few other methods that you can try if you haven’t already. They are all safe to do and won’t cause any harm to how your system operates. 

Conclusion

You now know how to fix the “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” problem, which can be frustrating if you often use your PC for online work and need to access websites.

As you can probably tell from the multiple methods described in this guide, there isn’t one specific solution for this problem, which makes it difficult to deal with. Unfortunately, you will need to test them one by one until you fix the issue.

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Bojan Veselinovikj
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Bojan is a video-game developer and a tech enthusiast. Combining these two passions allow him to keep you informed on everything that's new in this fast-paced digital world.