Windows 11 normally receives an IP address automatically from your router or another DHCP server when you connect to a network. This allows your computer to communicate with other devices and access the internet without requiring you to manually configure an address.
Sometimes the IP configuration can become invalid, outdated, or unavailable. You may notice that Windows says there is no internet connection even though the router appears to be working, or the computer may receive an address that does not allow it to communicate correctly with the network.
In these situations, releasing the current IP address and requesting a new one can help. Windows includes the ipconfig command for this purpose, so you do not need additional software.
The process is especially useful when troubleshooting Wi-Fi or Ethernet problems caused by DHCP or local IP configuration issues. Microsoft also recommends using ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew as part of Windows network troubleshooting.
Method 1: Release the Current IP Address
The first step is to release the IP address currently assigned to your network adapter.
- Press Windows + S.
- Type Command Prompt.
- Right-click Command Prompt.
- Select Run as administrator.
- Click Yes when User Account Control appears.
- Type the following command:
ipconfig /release
- Press Enter.
Windows will release the IPv4 address assigned through DHCP.
Your internet connection may stop working temporarily. This is expected because the computer has released its current network configuration.
You can now request a new address using the renewal command.
Method 2: Renew the IP Address
After releasing the existing address, use the ipconfig /renew command to request a new IP configuration.
In the same elevated Command Prompt window, enter:
ipconfig /renew
Press Enter.
Windows will communicate with the DHCP server and attempt to obtain a new IP address.
If the operation succeeds, you should see network information displayed in Command Prompt.
Wait a few seconds and check your internet connection.
You can then open a browser and visit a website to verify that the connection has been restored.
Microsoft specifically lists ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew as network troubleshooting commands for Windows 11.
Method 3: Release and Renew the IP Address in One Troubleshooting Session
If you are experiencing an intermittent connection, run both commands consecutively.
- Open Command Prompt as administrator.
- Enter:
ipconfig /release
- Press Enter.
- Then enter:
ipconfig /renew
- Press Enter.
- Wait for the renewal process to finish.
- Test your internet connection.
You can also use the following command afterward to see the new network configuration:
ipconfig
Look for the active adapter and check its IPv4 Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway.
The exact address you receive depends on your local network and DHCP configuration.
Releasing and renewing the address does not normally change your public internet IP address. It primarily refreshes the local IP configuration assigned to your Windows computer.
Method 4: Check Your IP Address Before and After Renewal
Checking the IP configuration can help you determine whether the renewal actually worked.
Before releasing the address:
- Open Command Prompt as administrator.
- Run:
ipconfig
- Find the adapter you are currently using.
- Note its IPv4 address.
Then run:
ipconfig /release
followed by:
ipconfig /renew
Finally, run:
ipconfig
again.
Compare the information.
Your computer may receive the same IP address again. That does not necessarily mean the command failed. DHCP servers can assign the same address to a device when it is available.
The important point is whether Windows has successfully obtained a valid configuration and whether network connectivity has returned.
Method 5: Identify an Automatic IP Configuration Problem
Sometimes Windows cannot obtain an address from the router.
One possible symptom is an IPv4 address beginning with:
169.254.x.x
An address in this range can indicate that Windows was unable to obtain an IP address from the DHCP server on the local network. Microsoft identifies this type of address as a sign that Windows could not obtain an IP address from the router in typical DHCP configurations.
To check your address:
- Open Command Prompt.
- Type:
ipconfig
- Press Enter.
- Find the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter.
- Look at the IPv4 Address field.
If you see a 169.254.x.x address, run:
ipconfig /release
and then:
ipconfig /renew
If Windows still cannot obtain a normal local address, the problem may be with the router’s DHCP service, the network adapter, the connection itself, or another network setting.
Method 6: Renew a Specific Network Adapter
If your computer has several network adapters, such as Wi-Fi, Ethernet, VPN adapters, or virtual network interfaces, you may see information for multiple connections.
First run:
ipconfig
Identify the adapter that you actually use to connect to the network.
For example, you might see sections for:
- Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi
- Ethernet adapter Ethernet
- Bluetooth Network Connection
- Virtual Ethernet adapters
The standard ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew commands can operate on DHCP-enabled adapters.
If you want to target a particular adapter, you can use its adapter name with the command.
For example:
ipconfig /release "Wi-Fi"
Then:
ipconfig /renew "Wi-Fi"
If your adapter has a different name, replace Wi-Fi with the name shown by ipconfig.
This can be useful on computers with several network interfaces where you want to refresh only one connection.
Method 7: Restart the DHCP-Related Connection
If renewing the address does not restore connectivity, temporarily disconnecting and reconnecting the network can help determine whether the problem is limited to the current connection.
For Wi-Fi:
- Click the network icon on the taskbar.
- Disconnect from the current Wi-Fi network.
- Wait several seconds.
- Connect to the network again.
- Enter the Wi-Fi password if requested.
- Test the connection.
For Ethernet:
- Disconnect the Ethernet cable.
- Wait several seconds.
- Reconnect it.
- Wait for Windows to detect the network.
- Test the connection.
After reconnecting, run:
ipconfig
to see whether Windows has received a valid address.
If the computer still cannot obtain an address, the issue may not be caused by a stale IP configuration.
Method 8: Reset the Network Stack if Renewal Fails
If releasing and renewing the IP address does not solve the problem, additional network commands may be necessary.
Microsoft recommends several commands together when troubleshooting Windows network connectivity. These include resetting Winsock and TCP/IP before releasing and renewing the IP configuration.
Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:
netsh winsock reset
Then:
netsh int ip reset
Next:
ipconfig /release
Then:
ipconfig /renew
You can also clear the DNS resolver cache afterward:
ipconfig /flushdns
Restart Windows after completing the commands if Windows indicates that a restart is required.
This approach addresses more than the IP address alone and can be useful when the underlying network configuration has become corrupted.
Method 9: Check the Router and DHCP Service
If Windows repeatedly fails to obtain an IP address, the problem may be outside the computer.
Your router normally provides local IP addresses through DHCP. If the router’s DHCP service is unavailable or malfunctioning, Windows may not receive a valid address.
To investigate:
- Check whether other devices can connect to the same network.
- Connect a phone or another computer to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Check whether those devices receive internet access.
- Restart the router if necessary.
- Wait for the router to reconnect to the internet.
- Connect your Windows 11 PC again.
- Run
ipconfigto inspect the new configuration.
If other devices also cannot obtain network access, the problem is more likely to involve the router or internet connection rather than Windows alone.
If other devices work normally while only your PC has trouble, continue troubleshooting the Windows network adapter and configuration.
Method 10: Verify the New Network Configuration
After renewing the IP address, verify that Windows received the information it needs.
Open Command Prompt and run:
ipconfig /all
Look for the active network adapter.
Check for:
- IPv4 Address
- Subnet Mask
- Default Gateway
- DHCP Enabled
- DNS Servers
A normal DHCP configuration should provide the computer with the information required to communicate with the local network.
You can also test the connection to your router by locating the Default Gateway and running:
ping 192.168.1.1
Replace 192.168.1.1 with the actual default gateway shown by ipconfig /all.
If the router responds, the computer can communicate with the local network.
If the router cannot be reached, investigate the Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, network adapter, router, or local firewall configuration.
Conclusion
Releasing and renewing an IP address is one of the simplest ways to refresh the network configuration on a Windows 11 computer. The two primary commands are ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew.
The process is useful when Windows has an incorrect or unusable DHCP configuration, when a network connection becomes unstable, or when the computer cannot obtain a suitable local IP address.
If renewing the address does not work, check the result of ipconfig, particularly the IPv4 address and default gateway. An address beginning with 169.254 can indicate that Windows was unable to obtain an address from the router in a typical DHCP setup.
For more difficult problems, Microsoft recommends combining IP renewal with commands that reset Winsock, TCP/IP, and the DNS client cache.
Remember that releasing and renewing the local IP address is different from changing your public IP address. The commands primarily refresh the address assigned to your computer on its local network.
FAQs
1. What does ipconfig /release do?
The ipconfig /release command tells Windows to release the IPv4 address currently assigned to a DHCP-enabled network adapter. The computer may temporarily lose network connectivity until a new configuration is obtained.
2. What does ipconfig /renew do?
The ipconfig /renew command asks the DHCP server to provide a new IP configuration. If the DHCP server is available, Windows should receive an IP address and other network settings.
3. Why does my IP address still look the same after renewal?
A DHCP server can assign the same IP address again if that address is still available for your computer. Seeing the same address does not necessarily indicate that the renewal failed.
4. What does a 169.254.x.x IP address mean?
A 169.254.x.x address can indicate that Windows was unable to obtain an IP address from the network’s DHCP server. Check the router, DHCP configuration, network adapter, and physical or Wi-Fi connection if the address persists.
Quick Summary
- Run
ipconfig /releaseto release the current DHCP-assigned IP configuration. - Run
ipconfig /renewto request a fresh IP configuration. - Use
ipconfig /allto inspect the address, gateway, DHCP, and DNS information. - If renewal fails, troubleshoot the network adapter, router, DHCP service, or TCP/IP configuration.