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ipconfig Commands for Fixing Network Problems

Beginner Command Prompt Fixes Applies to: Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows 11

A handful of Command Prompt commands that resolve a large share of "connected but no internet" situations.

Before you start: save any open work and note down what you were doing when the problem started — that context helps if you need to search further or ask for help.
  1. Type ipconfig /all to see your current network configuration, including your IP address, which is useful for confirming whether you actually have a valid one.
  2. Type ipconfig /flushdns to clear your local DNS cache — this alone resolves a surprising number of "site won't load" issues even when other sites work fine.
  3. Type ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew to force your PC to request a fresh IP address from the router, which resolves many IP conflict issues.
  4. For a deeper reset, type netsh winsock reset and restart the PC — this rebuilds the network stack from scratch and resolves problems the commands above don't.
  5. Run Command Prompt as administrator for these commands — several of them, particularly the winsock reset, will fail or do nothing without elevated privileges.
Still not fixed? Send us the details and we'll help you dig further, or browse related guides in Command Prompt Fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to run these commands even if I'm not sure what's wrong?
Yes — ipconfig commands like /release, /renew, and /flushdns are safe, reversible networking resets. Worst case, they simply don't fix anything, but they won't make your situation worse.
Do these commands need administrator rights?
Some do (like /flushdns and /release), others don't — running Command Prompt as administrator for all of them is the simplest way to avoid any permission errors.

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