All the essential tasks nowadays, whether they are professional or personal are carried out with the help of the Internet. It links the whole world together to a common platform and binds it together.
Ethernet is a technology used to access the internet mostly in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN), and wide area networks (WAN). It connects multiple numbers of computers and links them together to ensure ease in the flow of data through a common server.
The connection is transmitted to the devices with the help of a cable, which ensures a faster connection, greater security levels, and more reliability.
Most big organizations, companies, and firms, places with multiple devices working for a single server tend to prefer Ethernet for their internet services.
Wondering how to set up an Ethernet connection for your offices?
With the help of basic computer knowledge and a few pieces of equipment including computers with network adapters, Ethernet cables (hub or switch), and Ethernet cables (one for each computer) you can easily access the numerous features Ethernet has to offer.
Got all these? Now what? It’s very simple. Just follow these 5 simple steps and you’re good to go!
- Set up your Ethernet router (hub or switch). All you need to do is find a central location for all the computers and plug the device into an electrical outlet.
- Find the Ethernet port on your computers.
- Connect the network device and your computers with the Ethernet cables that you have in your hand.
- Turn on your computers and booth them up.
- Complete the network set-up and enjoy the services.
Now, this all may seem very simple but sometimes you might face an issue that pops up as, “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” due to which you might be unable to access the Ethernet services.
Don’t worry! This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the fast and secure network that it has to offer. The issue is easy to solve as well just like setting it up!
Also see: Service Host Superfetch- How to resolve this issue
Well, first to deal with the issue you must know what an IP is.
IP is abbreviated for Internet Protocol. It allows numerous devices to connect and communicate with each other over the internet with the help of a common IP-based network. This IP ID helps others to identify the network of the unique home and business location.
When your system shows the above-mentioned error, it essentially means that your Ethernet does not have a valid IP configuration, and the desktops connected are thus, unable to receive the necessary IP addresses from the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).
There can be various reasons for such an error ranging from faulty, outdated, incorrect network adapter drivers, to an incorrect network configuration.
Now how to deal with them? Don’t worry we have you covered!
To deal with such an error, you may need to update or reinstall network drivers, configure network settings, or try other fixes. Details of all are mentioned below!
Restart your computer and Router/Modem
It is the most simple and elegant solution which almost always works. Before, doing this remember to save all your work. After that, shut your systems off and unplug your modem/router from the main power plug.
Leave it unattached for some time and let it cool off. After that, plug the device back into its outlets and let it start up and self-test.
After all, this is done, you just need to turn your desktop back on and see if the error persists. If the error “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” is still there, try the other mentioned fixes.
Reset TCP/IP
This method involves resetting the main IP network and executing “netsh” commands into the Command Prompt of your device.
This command can help you to modify the network configurations of a running computer, locally or remotely.
This command comes equipped with a scripting feature that allows its users to run more than one set of commands in batch mode on a specified computer.
To apply this command, you need an elevated Command Prompt opened with administrator privileges. To access it follow these basic steps –
- Type “command prompt” in Search
- Right-click on the “Command Prompt” result
- Choose “Run as administrator“
- Run it with administrative privileges
- Click “Yes” to the prompt that says, “make changes to your computer”
- Type in the commands, “Netsh winsock reset” and “Nets hint IP reset“
After you’re done with the first command, Command Prompt will ask you to restart the computer to complete the reset process, ignore that and execute both commands.
When both the commands are entered and executed, restart your computer and see if the “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error is now fixed.
- Clear Network Cache
If using the “Netsh” command doesn’t work, try using “ipconfig” command. This will allow you to see the current configuration of the installed IP stack on the networked computers of your organization.
This will help you to flush out and rest the contents of the DNS client resolver cache. After it’s done you can easily renew the DHCP configuration of your network which should assist you to solve the error.
- Open Command Prompt as administrator
- Type the commands, and press Enter after each “ipconfig /release”, “ipconfig /flushdns”, and “ipconfig /renew”
- Restart the computer
- Check if the error, “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” still persists.
Configure TCP/IP Settings Manually
Resetting the TCP/IP should do the trick but sometimes, it doesn’t respond. In such a case you may need to configure the TCP/IP settings manually. To do so, you need to follow these simple steps –
- Right-click the Start menu
- Open the Run dialog box
- Select “Run” from the contextual menu
(This can also be done using a shortcut, “Windows key + R”)
- Type “cpl”command in the open Run dialog box
- Press Enter on the keyboard
- Click “ok”
This will open the Network Connections window which will show you all the available connections.
- Find the Ethernet connection
- Right-click it
- Select “Properties” from the contextual menu
- Find “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” or “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)“ (according to the network you are using)
- Select it
- Click “Properties“
In the case of a static IP address, the connection to the internet becomes tough thus, showing the “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration“ error.
All you need to do is switch it to the “Obtain an IP address automatically“ and “Obtain DNS server address automatically“ options.
When these options are set by default and no configurations have been performed, entering static IP address details, such as IP address, subnet mask, and default getaway, and the preferred and alternate DNS server also helps.
After completing all the steps, restart your computer and see if the error is fixed and if you can access the Ethernet services now.
Reinstall or Update Network Adapter Driver
A device driver is a crucial component of any computer. It creates a link between the operating system and other software and informs them of the correct way to interact with particular hardware.
It acts as a translator between the two, software and hardware and it is essential for smooth and easy communication.
Also see: How to find Wi-Fi Password on Windows 10
So, an appropriate driver that compliments the network and the system is essential. The “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration“ error can sometimes be a result of a faulty driver and reinstalling it might solve the issue. To reinstall it you need to use the Device Manager and follow the following steps –
- right-click the Start button
- Select and open the “Device Manager“
The Device Manager will show you a list of all the various devices connected to your system.
- Find “Network adapters“
- Expand it
- Right-click on the networking device
- Choose “Uninstall” from the drop-down menu.
- Confirm the “Uninstallation”
- If the “Delete the driver software for this device“checkbox appears, mark it
Restart your PC and check if the error is still there. In case Windows doesn’t allow you to install the missing drivers
- Go to Device Manager
- Right-click your computer name
- Select “Scan for hardware changes“
This should help you to detect all the missing drivers and assist you in installing them. If you want to update the drivers, follow the same steps and
- Choose the “Update driver” option
You will get an option to either search for the updated driver software or to browse your computer for driver software.
The first option will assist you in searching the computer and the Internet network for the latest driver software that was connected to your system while in the second option you will have to find and install the drivers on your own, manually. For this, you need to have downloaded driver software on your system or on a USB flash drive.
Choosing the first option is much simpler and easier, so, if you’re a rookie you should go with it. If the first option doesn’t provide you with effective results you can find the latest network adapter driver software from the manufacturer’s website and try the second option.
There is also a third option, using third-party software to update the drivers. You can find a suitable and easy-to-use driver updater tool that can help you to install and update your faulty drivers so, you no longer face the “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error.
Temporarily disable your anti-virus
Anti-viruses are an important part of every computer system as they ensure security from numerous bugs and computer viruses that can affect the data but some strong anti-viruses affect the operation of the computer system and a newly installed anti-virus software could be the reason behind the “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration“ error that you’re facing.
Uninstalling and disabling the anti-virus should do the trick and allow you to access the Ethernet services.
You can find a different anti-virus package to replace the current one that compliments the Ethernet network for smooth operation.
The above-mentioned numerous fixes should be able to solve your error. If by any chance the “Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration” error still persists, contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) as issues with the local Internet connection might also cause this error. If not, then, you may need to consult a professional technician for a solution.