IpConfig Examples: Interpret Output and Fix Common ErrorsIpConfig is a built-in Windows command-line tool that displays and manages your computer’s IP configuration. It’s essential for network troubleshooting, diagnosing connectivity problems, and performing quick network adjustments like releasing or renewing an IP address. This article provides practical examples of IpConfig output, explains what each field means, and shows how to fix common errors you’ll encounter.
Table of contents
- What IpConfig shows
- Common IpConfig commands
- Example outputs and interpretation
- Example 1 — Typical wired (Ethernet) interface
- Example 2 — Typical wireless (Wi‑Fi) interface
- Example 3 — Multiple adapters and virtual interfaces
- Common errors and fixes
- No IPv4 connectivity / APIPA (169.254.x.x)
- Default gateway unreachable
- DNS resolution issues
- Media disconnected
- Conflicting IP addresses
- Advanced troubleshooting commands and tips
- When to escalate
What IpConfig shows
When you run ipconfig (or ipconfig /all) in Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell, you’ll see a list of network adapters and related information. Key fields include:
- IPv4 Address: The device’s IPv4 address.
- Subnet Mask: Defines the local network range.
- Default Gateway: Router IP used to reach other networks.
- DNS Servers: IP addresses of DNS resolvers.
- DHCP Enabled / DHCP Server: Whether the address was assigned by DHCP and the DHCP server IP.
- Physical (MAC) Address: Hardware identifier of the NIC.
- Lease Obtained / Lease Expires: DHCP lease timing (when using ipconfig /all).
Use ipconfig /all for the most detailed output; plain ipconfig shows IP, subnet mask, and default gateway.
Common IpConfig commands
- ipconfig — show basic IPv4/IPv6 addresses, masks, gateways.
- ipconfig /all — show full details (DHCP, MAC, DNS, lease times).
- ipconfig /release — release DHCP-assigned IPv4 address.
- ipconfig /renew — request a new IPv4 address from DHCP.
- ipconfig /flushdns — clear the DNS resolver cache.
- ipconfig /displaydns — show the current DNS resolver cache.
- ipconfig /registerdns — refresh DHCP registration and DNS records.
Example outputs and interpretation
Example 1 — Typical wired (Ethernet) interface
Sample output:
Ethernet adapter Ethernet: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) Ethernet Connection Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1A-2B-3C-4D-5E DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.45(Preferred) Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0 Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, August 25, 2025 10:15:32 AM Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, August 26, 2025 10:15:32 AM Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1 DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1 Interpretation:
- IPv4 Address 192.168.1.45 — device is on a private network (192.168.1.0/24).
- Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0 — network supports addresses .1 through .254.
- Default Gateway 192.168.1.1 — typical router IP; used for internet traffic.
- DHCP Server 192.168.1.1 and lease times — address came from router’s DHCP.
- DNS Servers 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1 — Cloudflare DNS configured (fast public DNS).
If you can ping 192.168.1.1 but not external sites, check DNS or gateway internet link.
Example 2 — Typical wireless (Wi‑Fi) interface
Sample output:
Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home.local Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) Wireless-AC Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 11-22-33-44-55-66 DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.12(Preferred) Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.1 DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.0.0.1 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.53 Notes:
- Different address space (10.0.0.0/24) — might be a different router or guest network.
- If DNS server is on another subnet (192.168.0.53) but you’re on 10.0.0.x, ensure routing is correct — otherwise DNS lookups will fail.
Example 3 — Multiple adapters and virtual interfaces
Sample output excerpt:
Ethernet adapter Ethernet 2: Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected Ethernet adapter vEthernet (Default Switch): IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 172.24.32.1 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0 Tunnel adapter isatap.{GUID}: Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected Interpretation:
- Media disconnected — cable unplugged, NIC disabled, or no wireless association.
- Virtual adapters (vEthernet, Tunnels) are used by virtualization platforms, VPN clients, or IPv6 transition technologies. They can affect default route and DNS ordering.
Common errors and fixes
No IPv4 connectivity / APIPA (169.254.x.x)
Symptom: IPv4 Address begins with 169.254.x.x. Cause: DHCP server unreachable; Windows autoconfigured an APIPA address. Fix:
- Physically check cable/Wi‑Fi and switch/router.
- Run:
ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew - If renewal fails, verify DHCP server is running (check router), or set a static valid IP temporarily.
Default gateway unreachable
Symptom: Can’t reach internet; ping to gateway times out. Fix:
- Ensure correct gateway IP in ipconfig.
- Ping gateway:
ping 192.168.1.1. - If unreachable, check cable, Wi‑Fi, switch/router, or incorrect VLAN settings.
- Restart the router and NIC (disable/re-enable adapter in Network Connections).
DNS resolution issues
Symptom: IP-level connectivity (ping 8.8.8.8 works) but domain names don’t resolve. Fix:
- Flush DNS cache:
ipconfig /flushdns - Confirm DNS servers in ipconfig /all. Try public DNS (8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1) as a test:
- Set manually in adapter properties or use:
netsh interface ip set dns "Wi-Fi" static 8.8.8.8
- Set manually in adapter properties or use:
- If using corporate DNS, contact network admin.
Media disconnected
Symptom: ipconfig shows “Media disconnected”. Fix:
- For Ethernet: ensure cable seated and NIC enabled. Try a different cable/port.
- For Wi‑Fi: reconnect to SSID; ensure wireless switch (if present) is on.
- Disable and re-enable adapter, or uninstall/reinstall driver via Device Manager.
Conflicting IP addresses
Symptom: Intermittent connectivity; Windows shows notifications about IP conflict; duplicates in arp table. Fix:
- Set DHCP-assigned address or change static IP to one outside DHCP pool.
- Reserve IP on DHCP server for the device’s MAC address.
- Reboot affected devices to clear stale conflicts.
Advanced troubleshooting commands and tips
- ipconfig /displaydns — inspect cached DNS entries to confirm name resolutions.
- ipconfig /registerdns — force dynamic DNS registration (useful in Active Directory).
- netsh interface ip show config — view interface config including metrics.
- netstat -rn — view routing table to confirm default route.
- arp -a — check ARP table for MAC/IP mapping conflicts.
- Use Wireshark for packet-level capture if routing/DNS issues persist.
Example sequence for common diagnosis:
- ipconfig /all — gather full config.
- ping gateway — test local L2/L3.
- ping 8.8.8.8 — test internet connectivity.
- nslookup example.com — test DNS resolution and resolver being used.
- ipconfig /flushdns and ipconfig /renew as corrective steps.
When to escalate
- ISP outage affecting all devices — contact ISP (verify with another device).
- DHCP server or core router issues — involve network admin.
- Repeated hardware-specific failures (NIC driver crashes, persistent IP conflicts) — consider replacing NIC or escalating to IT support.
Practical use of ipconfig helps you quickly see where the failure lies: link, addressing, routing, or name resolution. Using the examples and fixes above, you can resolve the majority of common Windows network problems.
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