Best Ways to Fix 169 IP Address Issue In Windows

Are you facing issues with internet connectivity? Does your system seem to have an IP address starting with 169?

Yes, then you are in the right place. Here we will discuss how to fix 169 IP address issues and the reasons responsible for 169 IP address errors. 

What is DHCP?

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol in simple words is a central management system used to distribute IP addresses within a network. At home and in small businesses, the router acts as a DHCP server while in larger networks a single system takes care of this role. 

Best Ways to Fix 169 IP Address Error

To fix 169 IP address issues, you need to ensure that both your system and your networking device can communicate with the network hardware. The easiest way to fix this problem is to reboot the system, but if this doesn’t work, try following the ways explained below.

1. Check the system’s configuration

If you have started facing IP address 169 error after updating the OS, upgrading to the latest version of the operating system, switching system, or performing system restore, we suggest you undo the recent changes. Once this is done, restart the system and then check if you can connect to the network and go online. If not, move to the next steps. 

2. Reconfigure IP

When the IP address settings are disturbed, you face 169 IP address errors, this can be fixed by reconfiguring IP addresses. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows + X

2. Select Device Manager > Network Adapters > right-click the Wireless or Ethernet Adapter you are facing a problem with > Uninstall 

3. Once done, right-click Network Adapters category > Scan for Hardware Changes > wait for the operation to complete

4. Next press Windows  + R > ncpa.cpl

5. Right-click Network Adapter > Properties > uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) > ok

6. Now open elevated Command Prompt and type the following commands, one by one:

• netsh winsock reset catalog
• netsh int ip reset reset.log
• ipconfig /release
• ipconfig /renew

7. Reboot the system and try to connect to the network. 

3. Reset firewall

When a proper hardware connection is detected by the network but the communication with the DHCP server to get an IP address is not established, you get 169 IP addresses. To resolve this ad-hoc network situation resetting the system’s firewall is recommended. Once that is done, restart the system and check if the problem is fixed or not. 

To reset the firewall, follow the steps below: 

1. In the Windows search bar, type Windows Defender Firewall

 

 

2. Click Restore defaults

 

 

3. In the consecutive window, click Restore defaults > confirm the action by clicking Yes.

 

 

4. That’s it, Windows Firewall is now reset. You can see if this helps.

4. Use a VPN

If none of the steps worked so far, we suggest using Systweak VPN. This will not only help resolve 169 IP address issues but will also help browse the web anonymously. 

Systweak VPN is a great choice to bypass geo-restriction access to all blocked content without your ISP knowing what you are doing. It also protects you from online tracking. 

5. Update or reinstall network adapter

When the network adapter is outdated, then you might face issues with internet connectivity. To resolve this, updating and reinstalling the network adapter is recommended. 

To update network adapters, we suggest using Smart Driver Care, the best tool to update drivers in a single click. Using this Windows compatible tool in no time, you can update all outdated drivers and resolve all driver-related issues. To use it, follow the steps below:

1. Download, install and run Smart Driver Care 

2. Click Start Scan Now and wait for the scan to finish 

3. Once it is done, update the network driver. If you are using the trial version, you will have to click on the Update driver option. However, if you have the Pro version of Smart Driver Care, you can update all drivers by clicking Update All.

4. Once this is done, restart the system. 

5. This should solve the problem. 

6. Disable fast startup

1. Press Windows + X > Power Options 

2. Click Choose what the power button does> Change settings that are currently unavailable > scroll down to Shutdown settings > uncheck Turn on fast startup > Save changes

3. Exit the window and you are done. 

4. Now try to see if it helps

7. Reset IP address and subnet mask

1. Type Control Panel in Windows search bar 

2. Click Network and Internet > Network and Sharing center > Manage Network Connections 

3. Right-click Local Area Network > Properties > Networking tab > uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) 

4. Select Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv4) > Properties > General tab 

5. Hit Alternate Configuration tab > Automatic private IP address > Ok 

6. Now run automatic configuration. If the settings get changed or it does not work, use the following settings:

Save the settings and test the connection, this should work. 

8. Restart DNS service

Press Windows + R > services.msc 

Click Services section > DNS client > right-click > Restart

9. Run System File Checker

If the system files are infected, running this command is the best option. Using it, you can fix corrupt files and fix 169 proxy errors. To run it, follow the steps below:

1. Type Command Prompt in Windows search bar 

2. Select Run as administrator > type sfc /scannow > enter

3. Wait for the command to run and exit the window

4. Now restart the system and see if this helps. 

Wrap Up

This is it. Using the best fixes explained above, you can easily fix 169 IP address issues. In case, you find some other fixes that have worked for you or someone else does share the same in the comments section. 

Also, to keep drivers updated and to securely browse the web, we suggest using Smart Driver Care and Systweak VPN.

Systweak VPN

We hope we managed to explain the topic and help resolve the problem. In case you have any suggestions or questions do drop the same in the comments section.