One of the common situations in Windows users 10, 8 and Windows 7 - problems with the Internet and a message that the network adapter (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) does not have acceptable parameters IP settings when using a standard network troubleshooting utility.
This instruction will describe step by step what to do in this situation in order to fix the error associated with the lack of valid IP settings and return the Internet to normal operation.
Note: Before following the steps below, try turning off your Wi-Fi or Ethernet internet connection and then turning it back on. To do this, press the Win+R keys on your keyboard, enter ncpa.cpl and press Enter. Right-click on the problematic connection and select “Disconnect”. Once it is disabled, enable it in the same way. For wireless connection Try also turning off and turning on your Wi-Fi router again.
Retrieving IP parameters
If a malfunctioning connection receives its IP address automatically, then the problem in question can be solved simple update IP address received from the router or provider. To do this, follow these steps.
- Launch Command Prompt as an administrator and use the following commands in order.
- ipconfig /release
- ipconfig /renew
Close Command Prompt and check if the problem is resolved.
Often this method does not help, but at the same time it is the simplest and safest.
Resetting TCP/IP protocol settings
The first thing you should try when a message appears that the network adapter does not have valid IP settings is to reset the network settings, in particular the IP protocol (and WinSock) settings.
Attention: if you have a corporate network and the administrator is in charge of setting up Ethernet and the Internet, it is not advisable to perform the following actions (you can reset some specific parameters, necessary for work).
If you have a different version of the OS (but it is also suitable for the “ten”), then follow these steps.
Also, to reset TCP/IP settings in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7, you can use the utility available for download on the official Microsoft website: https://support.microsoft.com/ru-ru/kb/299357
After restarting your computer, check to see if the Internet is working again and, if not, if the troubleshooting shows the same message as before.
Checking IP connection parameters for Ethernet or Wi-Fi
Another option is to check the IP settings manually and change them if necessary. After making the changes indicated in the individual steps below, check to see if the problem has been resolved.
If none of this is helpful, try the options in the next section.
Additional reasons that the network adapter does not have valid IP settings
In addition to the actions described, in situations with “valid IP parameters” the culprits may be third party programs, in particular:
- Bonjour - if you have installed any software from Apple (iTunes, iCloud, QuickTime), then it is most likely in the list installed programs you have Bonjour. Removing this program may solve the problem described.
- If you have a third-party antivirus or firewall installed on your computer, try disabling it temporarily and check if the problem goes away. If yes, try uninstalling and then installing the antivirus again.
- In the dispatcher Windows devices Try removing your network adapter, then select “Action” - “Update hardware configuration” from the menu. The adapter will be reinstalled, sometimes this works.
That's all. I hope one of the methods suits your situation.
Windows 7 supports the vast majority of network cards. Moreover, most modern network equipment is designed specifically for Windows, with all the ensuing problems, because Windows is not famous for its stability. However, Microsoft quickly solves most of the problems that arise with network equipment, honor and praise to them, but those that inevitably arise will be discussed in detail in this article.
First of all: in order to expand the potential range of tasks that a client computer performs on the network, there is a need to change the basic parameters of the network card.
Here are examples of such tasks:
How to view a list of available network adapters (network connections) in Windows 7?
The list of available devices on Windows 7 can be seen in two ways:
The second method begins by opening Device Manager using the Run window:
Enabling a network card, including using the BIOS
Read the instructions for all BIOS versions in the article -
On laptops, turn it on and off network interface carried out by pressing a keyboard shortcut, on desktop computers - through the BIOS menu.
To enable wireless network adapter on laptops there is a combination “Fn + F12”, although some manufacturers make a special key for this function.
Installing a network driver on Windows 7, including without the Internet
Since the network adapter is equivalent to the Internet, its absence makes it very difficult to download a driver to the network card. The issue is resolved by pre-recording drivers onto media.
- Drivers are downloaded and written to a flash drive, CD, etc.
- The media is connected to the PC.
- After this, the “Device Manager” opens using the “Run” window (called by pressing the “Win + R” keys), in which the “devmgmt.msc” command is entered.
- There is a section “Sound, game and video devices”, a subsection “Unknown device”, which has not yet been installed. You need to start installing drivers for an unknown device (future network adapter) after selecting it with the right mouse button and selecting “Properties” in the drop-down menu.
- Left click - “Update”.
- Manual installation is selected.
- The path to the media with drivers is registered or specified.
- Finally, the installation begins. It takes no more than a couple of minutes.
The network card without drivers was located in the "Device Manager" under the "Unknown Devices" section. After the update, it takes its rightful place - in “Network adapters”.
Video - How to install a network adapter driver without Internet access
Setting up a network connection in Windows 7
Although companies providing Internet services prefer to configure their clients' network equipment themselves, sometimes it is necessary to carry out more advanced configuration. This is typical for computers with multiple adapters.
For this:
- Come in context menu“Start”, open “Control Panel”.
- In the “View” category, set the value to “Category”, find and open the “Network and Internet” section.
- Click on the "Network and Sharing Center" link.
- Click on the "Change adapter settings" link.
- Right-click on the network connection shortcut and select “Properties”.
- Check the box “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and click on the “Properties” button.
- Check the box “Use the following IP address” and fill in the fields with data.
On a note! The fields and “Default gateway” are in the agreement with the Internet provider, the remaining fields contain the same values for all users.
Video - The computer does not see the network adapter
How to view and change network card settings (IP, Mac, etc.) in Windows 7?
It is easy to see the adapter parameters and its MAC address thanks to system programs.
For this:
How to reset all network driver settings?
If you want to completely roll back all settings to their original level, then do the following:
Is it possible to create two network cards?
Many users are thinking about getting a second network card. Physically there are no problems: most laptops and computers support the second network card. But there are exceptions, as well as damaged slots, as well as netbooks and tablet computers. In this situation, you need to use a virtual card, which distributes Internet traffic no worse than physical traffic.
It is possible to install such a virtual card in the Windows system itself:
- In the Start menu, type “manager” in the field, open “Device Manager”.
- In the "Device Manager" click on the "Network adapters" section, select in the top menu"Actions" item, and from the drop-down menu - "Install old device".
- The installation wizard will open. You need to select the manual option to gain access to the list of drivers for all devices.
- Scroll through the categories, highlight Network Adapters, and click Next.
- Then click on the “Microsoft” item and add “Microsoft loopback adapter” or “Microsoft loopback adapter”, which will then appear in the network connections window.
- Confirm. The network adapter should now appear in Network Connections.
Complete reset of network driver settings
If your Internet is interrupted or most of the Internet pages cannot be opened, then great solution This problem can be resolved by resetting all parameters and the TCP/IP stack.
Disabling a network card
To disable the network adapter, the best way is to use the most standard and convenient Windows tool to contain all such equipment is the device manager. Do the following:
In this case, the shutdown will occur immediately; you won’t even need to reboot the OS.
Important! After the adapter is disconnected, the Internet connection will be terminated along with it and a disconnection will occur. local network. Therefore, it is recommended to finish all your Internet activities in a timely manner before disconnecting the network card.
The network adapter does not have valid IP settings
A common problem for Windows 7 users is when problems arise with Internet access and the network diagnostic tool displays a message that the network adapter does not have valid IP settings.
In this case, you can first try resetting the router. If you have wired connection, then disable and then re-enable your network connection in the network connections menu. If this does not help, then you can move on to further steps.
Step 1. Update your IP address - this is the simplest method, although it does not always help in this case. To do this, open Command Prompt (as an administrator) and enter the following commands:
Check again to see if the error is still displayed? If yes, then move on.
Step 2. You can try resetting the network settings, namely the IP protocols. It is recommended to reset the TCP/IP protocol stack to factory settings in the most extreme cases when problems arise as a result of actions malware and so on. To do this, open a command prompt in administrator mode and enter:
Network card settings are lost
When setting up a network, users may encounter the following situation: when they manually enter an IP address, gateway, DNS, the specified parameters are not saved, but are reset to factory settings, and thus it becomes impossible to change the network settings from automatically receiving addresses from the router. One of the common reasons for this is the incorrect removal of an antivirus that has firewall functions.
What should be done:
- Reset the TCP/IP protocol stack to factory settings (the article above indicated how to do this).
- Reboot.
If this does not help, then do the following:
After doing this, the problem should be resolved.
What to do if there are problems with the network card?
Many plug-in AC adapters, due to their vulnerability to electricity, may temporarily fail during periods of severe thunderstorms or building power outages. In most cases, difficulties arise in situations with wired equipment, since multi-story buildings have long cable runs laid by Internet providers in places that are not intended for this purpose, next to telephone and television cables and high voltage wires. High humidity, dampness and low temperature in this area - all this has an extremely negative effect on the insulation of wires, so breakdowns appear in them .
Sometimes also, in more rare cases, breakdowns occur due to emergency situations like a major thunderstorm. Network adapters quite often burn out, or users begin to experience difficulties logging into the network. In this case, the equipment will function, but there may be no Internet connection during such periods.
Unfortunately, this problem can only be solved by purchasing a different model of network adapter. For a desktop computer, the PCI standard complies, for a laptop - USB and PCMCIA.
It is also not recommended to plug in a network cable into the router and then connect a computer to it, because even if the router breaks down, replacing it will be relatively inexpensive compared to replacing the network card built into the computer (or even the entire motherboard).
Windows 7 does not see the network adapter
When integrated network equipment is not shown either in the “Network Connections” window or in the “Device Manager”, and is not even reflected in the “Unknown Devices” section (which would be explained by the lack of drivers), then most likely there is something wrong with it physically. It is quite possible that some transistors on the network card board have burned out, or a chip has fallen off - in this case, it is more advisable to buy a new card.
Video - How to configure a wired network card on Windows 7
If an error message appears when you try to connect to the Internet, and the built-in diagnostic utility indicates that the adapter does not have valid IP settings, then you can fix the problem by resetting the settings, retrieving the settings, or entering them manually.
Reconnecting to the network
Before you begin a more serious investigation into the causes of the error, try turning off and then turning on your Internet connection again.
Immediately after disconnecting, turn the connection back on. When using a Wi-Fi connection, turn off and then turn on the router.
Getting IP parameters
If a connection that is not working correctly receives an address automatically, updating the data may resolve the problem.
Close the command prompt and try the connection again. If the error repeats, you will have to go deeper into the settings.
Resetting the TCP/IP protocol
The next step after retrieving the parameters is to reset the TCP/IP protocol settings. If you work in corporate network, which is monitored by an administrator, do not follow the steps below, or you risk resetting any special settings. If the problem occurs on home computer, no additional difficulties will appear. 
Launch an elevated command prompt. Run three commands in sequence:
- netsh int ip reset.
- nets int tcp reset.
- netsh winsock reset.
After completing the last request, restart your computer. On Windows 10, the same operation can be performed without command line using the built-in network reset utility:
You can also reset TCP/IP settings using utility program NetShell, available on the Microsoft website at https://support.microsoft.com/ru-ru/kb/299357. The utility works on Windows 7 and 8.1; on Windows 10 it is presented in the form of a built-in tool described above.
Manual parameter entry
Another way to troubleshoot the problem is to check and manually enter the TCP/IP parameters.
If you connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, then try to register the IP address manually. Use the same address as the router, but with the last digit changed. Try to keep her away. For example, if the router has an address of 192.168.1.1, enter IP 192.168.1.7. The subnet mask will be set automatically, and the main gateway will be the router address itself. 
In addition, you can try disabling IP version 6 in the connection properties. After performing each action, do not forget to check the network status - perhaps these manipulations will lead to a positive result.
Other Possible Causes
If none of the above methods help resolve the problem, pay attention to the following factors:
- Availability of Bonjour on the computer - part of the software Apple software, installed with iTunes or iCloud. Try removing Bonjour.
- Using a third-party antivirus or firewall. Try disabling your antivirus/firewall and see if the internet works. If this solves the problem, remove the security software and install other programs with similar functions.
In some cases, simply reinstalling the adapter helps. Uninstall the network hardware in Device Manager and then update the configuration. During the update, the system will detect and install the adapter again.
