Fix 'Self-Assigned IP' or 'Limited Connectivity' on Windows

When Windows cannot obtain an IP address from your router, it assigns itself a temporary address starting with 169.254 — this is called a self-assigned or APIPA address. The “Limited Connectivity” or “No Internet Access” warning you see in the taskbar is a direct result. Your Wi-Fi connection exists, but without a proper IP address, no traffic can flow.

Why This Happens

The most common causes are:

• The router’s DHCP service (which hands out IP addresses) has temporarily stopped working.
• The DHCP address pool is full because too many devices are connected.
• A driver bug or corrupted network settings on your PC.
• A brief router fault or crash.

Step 1: Restart the Router

This resolves the majority of self-assigned IP issues. Unplug the router for 30 seconds, plug it back in, wait 60 seconds, then run the following in an administrator Command Prompt:

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Step 2: Check That DHCP Is Enabled on Your PC

1. Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter.
2. Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and choose Properties.
3. Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
4. Confirm Obtain an IP address automatically is selected, and also Obtain DNS server address automatically.
5. Click OK.

Step 3: Disable and Re-Enable the Adapter

In the Network Connections window (ncpa.cpl), right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and choose Disable. Wait 10 seconds, then right-click again and choose Enable. This forces the adapter to request a new IP address.

Step 4: Reset the Network Stack

In an administrator Command Prompt:

netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset
ipconfig /flushdns

Restart your PC after all three commands complete.

Step 5: Check the DHCP Address Pool on the Router

If many devices are on your network, the router may have run out of IP addresses to assign. Log into the router admin page and look in the DHCP settings. Increase the address pool — for example, change the range to 192.168.1.100 through 192.168.1.250 to allow up to 150 devices. Need help with this? Ask us.