Ava is a die-hard Apple aficionado and seasoned writer with a knack for breaking down complex tech concepts into easily digestible content. Having honed her writing and editing skills over 3 years at renowned media houses like TechBurner, Ava crafts informative and engaging articles including troubleshooting guides, product reviews, editorials at iGeeksBlog. When not typing, you can find her exploring the latest Apple releases or pondering the future of tech innovation.
Key Takeaways
Is your MacBook struggling to access the internet, though your Wi-Fi or Ethernet works fine? This can be due to the self-assigned IP address error on your Mac. Worry not!
Here, I’ll share how to fix the internet not working due to a self-assigned IP address error on your Mac to regain a stable network connection. But before we jump into the troubleshooting steps, let’s understand what a self-assigned IP error is.
The “self-assigned IP address” error on Mac refers to a situation where your device assigns an IP address and sets up an ad-hoc network instead of obtaining one from the network router or DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server.
This self-assigned IP address is not legitimate or acknowledged on the network. That’s why your Mac cannot connect to the internet or other devices on the network, resulting in limited or no network connectivity.
This issue occurs due to several reasons such as:
But you can fix the issue with a few simple methods. Let’s learn them!
There are 12 ways to fix the problem, from simple checks to more advanced changes. It would help if you tried them in the order provided.
Before diving into Mac-specific settings, ensure that your router is functioning correctly and located near your Mac to obtain a valid IP address. Besides, if you are using an Ethernet connection, plug in the cable snugly.
I also check to validate that the cable has no fault and is in good condition. Moreover, If you are using an old Wi-Fi router, discard it and get a new one to obtain a smoother connection.
Restarting both your modem and router can often resolve temporary network glitches. Power off the devices, unplug the cables, and wait a few seconds. It will help them cool down, as excessive heat can cause malfunctions.
After that, plug all cables, connect them to the power outlet, and turn them back on. In the meantime, restart your Mac once to iron out any bugs in macOS.
This method is effective when the assigned IP address may have expired or encountered conflicts. When you renew the DHCP Lease, your Mac requests a new IP address from the DHCP server. It ensures a valid configuration and resolves connectivity issues.
After renewing the lease, check if you can connect to your network. If that doesn’t help, try creating a New Network Location and renewing the lease.
Sometimes, simply forgetting and rejoining your Wi-Fi network can solve the self-assigned IP address error on your Mac.
Verify that your Mac’s network settings are configured correctly. You must opt for the appropriate network settings to obtain IP addresses and DNS information automatically.
You may also try turning off the IPv6, as some users reported it conflicted with the IP address assigning procedure.
Resetting the network preferences can help eliminate IP address misconfiguration, causing the internet to not work. So, you must delete specific network connectivity-related files from your MacBook.
Creating a new network location lets your Mac start fresh with network settings and eliminate a self-assigned IP address.
Repeat the steps of renewing the DHCP lease on your Mac, and then try connecting to your network.
When you try to perform configuration changes to the system, your Mac’s firewall experiences configuration issues. Let’s fix this problem by resetting the Firewall.
After your system boots, it’ll ask you to allow access to numerous programs and services. Enable access depending upon your choice. Then, try connecting to your network and check if the self-assigned IP address error persists.
If you are unsure about deleting the Firewall files, you may temporarily disable it. Toggling off the Firewall on your Mac can help determine if it’s causing conflicts with network connectivity.
Adjusting the service order can prioritize the network interface, ensuring your Mac connects to your preferred network.
Discarding existing DNS and switching to alternative DNS servers can resolve DNS-related issues that may contribute to the self-assigned IP address error.
Ensure that no other devices on your network use the same IP address as your Mac. Check your router’s DHCP client list and verify that all devices have unique IP addresses assigned.
If you have a VPN service enabled, disable it temporarily to see if it resolves the self-assigned IP address error. Open your Mac’s VPN settings and turn off the VPN connection.
You may need to attempt more complex fixes if the troubleshooting techniques outlined above do not fix the self-assigned IP address problem on your Mac:
Self-assigned IP address error is indeed frustrating as it prevents your Mac from accessing the internet. So, you must take some precautions to avoid such a nuisance in the future.
Get back your smooth internet access!
Encountering a self-assigned IP address error on your Mac hampers your work, so you should address it ASAP. You can tackle the issue and restore a stable and reliable network connection using these troubleshooting techniques.
If the problem isn’t resolved, contact Apple Support and seek assistance.
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Ava is a die-hard Apple aficionado and seasoned writer with a knack for breaking down complex tech concepts into easily digestible content. Having honed her writing and editing skills over 3 years at renowned media houses like TechBurner, Ava crafts informative and engaging articles including troubleshooting guides, product reviews, editorials at iGeeksBlog. When not typing, you can find her exploring the latest Apple releases or pondering the future of tech innovation.
