How to Fix Failed DHCP IP Address

DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. It provides IP addresses and other related configuration information such as subnet masks and default gateways to client machines. DHCP is crucial, especially in large networks, as it automatically assigns unique dynamic IP addresses to each client. With DHCP, the entire process is automated, whereas without DHCP, IP addresses have to be configured manually. If DHCP fails or encounters related errors, you won't be able to access the internet. In this article, we will look at what you can do if your router or client machine fails to obtain an IP address from the DHCP Server.

Failing to Obtain an IP Address from DHCP Server

If your WiFi router states "Failed to obtain an IP address from the DHCP Server," restart your router and see if the issue persists. If it does, you can try the solutions provided below:

Check DHCP Status:

• Ensure DHCP is enabled on your Windows device. To do this, follow these steps:
• Open Control Panel.
• Choose Category in View by mode.
• Click on Network and Internet.
• Now, click on Network and Sharing Center.
• Click on the "Change adapter settings" link on the left side.
• Double-click on your network connection. Under the General tab, click the Details button.
• Check if DHCP is enabled. If DHCP is enabled, you will see "Yes" next to it. If DHCP is disabled on your device, you should enable it.

Restart DHCP Client:

Issues on your Windows computer can sometimes be fixed by restarting the DHCP Client. You can restart it by running the following commands in an elevated Command Prompt:

net stop dhcp

net start dhcp

Type each command separately in the elevated Command Prompt and press Enter after typing each command. Restart your computer after running these commands.

Temporarily Disable Antivirus and Firewall:

Disable your third-party antivirus and firewall. Your antivirus might conflict with DHCP. After disabling your antivirus, check if the issue persists. If this fixes the problem, contact your antivirus customer support.

Run Network Adapter Troubleshooter:

The Network Adapter Troubleshooter is an automated tool in Microsoft Windows. You can run this tool to fix network-related issues. Run the Network Adapter Troubleshooter and see if it helps.

• On Windows 10, open Settings and go to "Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters." Select Network Adapter and click the Run the troubleshooter button.
• On Windows 11, open Settings and go to "System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters." Click the Run button next to Network Adapter.

Edit Your Network Properties:

Incorrectly configured IPv4 adapter settings can also cause DHCP errors. If you have set a specific IP address, we recommend changing this setting to automatic and checking if it helps. The following instructions will guide you through this:

• Open Control Panel and choose Category in View by mode.
• Open "Network & Internet > Network and Sharing Center."
• Click the "Change adapter settings" link on the left.
• Right-click on your network connection (WiFi or Ethernet) and select Properties.
• Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.

Choose the following options:

• Obtain an IP address automatically.
• Obtain DNS server address automatically.
• Click OK.
• Click OK again to close the network properties window.
• Restart your computer and check if the issue persists.

Release TCP/IP, Flush DNS, and Reset Winsock:

Internet issues can be fixed by releasing and renewing TCP/IP, flushing DNS, and resetting Winsock. You can do this with a single click by creating a BAT file using Notepad. Write all the necessary commands to perform these actions, then save the file with a .bat extension. Now, whenever you run that file, Windows will release and renew TCP/IP, flush DNS, and reset Winsock.

Reinstall Your Network Adapter:

One possible cause of your current issue is an outdated or corrupt network adapter driver. If so, reinstalling the network driver will fix the problem. The steps to do this are as follows:

• Press the Win + X keys and select Device Manager.
• When Device Manager appears, expand the Network adapters node by double-clicking on it.
• Right-click on your WiFi adapter and select Uninstall device.
• After removing the network adapter's installation, restart your computer.
• Windows will automatically detect hardware changes upon restart and reinstall the missing network adapter.

Fix Duplicate IP Address Conflict on DHCP Server:

If a duplicate IP address conflict occurs on the DHCP Server, network devices will not be able to obtain an IP address from the DHCP Server, and you will receive this error message. If you have assigned a static IP address to your device, change it to automatic. We have explained this in method 4 above. Alternatively, you can exclude static IP addresses from the DHCP Server. The steps for this are outlined below:

• Turn off the problematic DHCP Client computer.
• Open DHCP Server settings and exclude static IP addresses from the DHCP IP address range.
• Turn on the DHCP Client computer.

Configure Different IP Addresses for Each VLAN:

If you have connected different computers to the same router via a switch, you need to configure different IP addresses for each VLAN. The same IP address causes conflicts between devices connected to the same router. This will fix the issue.

What to Do When the DHCP Client Host Fails to Obtain an IP Address from the DHCP Server?

When the DHCP client host fails to obtain an IP address from the DHCP Server, you should check whether DHCP is enabled on that device or not. If DHCP is disabled, the client won't be able to obtain an IP address from the DHCP Server. This issue also occurs due to IP address conflicts on the DHCP Server. To fix this problem, you should exclude static IP addresses from the DHCP Server.

Sometimes, issues occur due to third-party antivirus and firewall. You can check this by temporarily disabling antivirus and firewall. If this fixes your problem, contact your antivirus provider's customer support to resolve the issue.

Faulty and outdated network adapters also cause several issues, including this one. Therefore, your network adapter should always be up to date. You can try one thing; uninstall the currently installed WiFi driver from your system and reinstall it by restarting your device. This will fix the issue.

What Happens When DHCP Fails?

DHCP automatically assigns a unique IP address to clients connected to a specific network. If DHCP fails, the automated process of assigning IP addresses to clients is disrupted because users cannot access the internet.