Tech News Today
  • Hardware
    • Motherboards
    • CPUs
    • Graphic Cards
    • RAM
    • SSDs
    • Computer Cases
    • Monitors
    • Peripherals
    • Power Supply Unit
    • PC Builds
    • Computer Tips
  • Software
  • Operating System
    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
  • Gaming
  • Mobile
  • Console
  • More
    • Internet
    • Networking
    • Security
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Gadgets
    • Laptops
    • Reviews
    • How To
    • News
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Tech News Today
  • Hardware
    • Motherboards
    • CPUs
    • Graphic Cards
    • RAM
    • SSDs
    • Computer Cases
    • Monitors
    • Peripherals
    • Power Supply Unit
    • PC Builds
    • Computer Tips
  • Software
  • Operating System
    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
  • Gaming
  • Mobile
  • Console
  • More
    • Internet
    • Networking
    • Security
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Gadgets
    • Laptops
    • Reviews
    • How To
    • News
Tech News Today
Home » Networking

5 Ways to Fix “Failed to Obtain IP Address”

Bishwo TamliBy Bishwo TamliJune 30, 2023
Failed to obtain IP address 1

When connecting your mobile device to a network, it requests an IP address from your router’s DHCP server. However, the router can sometimes fail to offer an IP address to your device, resulting in the aptly named “Failed to Obtain IP address” error.

While this error is often caused by issue with the DHCP server or random session glitches, your mobile device may also be responsible for this error. It includes reasons like poor Wi-Fi signal, and misconfigured network settings on your mobile device.

Anyway, let’s see how you can troubleshoot both of them to fix this issue.

Table of Contents

  • Restart Your Router and Device
  • Forget and Reconnect to the Network
  • Change to a Static IP Address
  • Reset Network Settings
  • Reset Your Router

Restart Your Router and Device

The first thing you can do to fix this issue is to restart both your router and your mobile device. Restarting your devices will clear any temporary session glitches that might have caused the issue.

To properly restart your router, you can unplug the device, wait for one minute, and plug the router back in.

After restarting your router, try restarting your mobile device as well. Doing so is as simple as holding the power button, and selecting the Restart option.

Forget and Reconnect to the Network

You can also try forgetting the network you’re trying to connect to and then try reconnecting to that network. Forgetting a network will delete all cache and configured settings of the network, and your mobile device treats it like it is connecting to that network for the first time.

So, forgetting and reconnecting to a network can solve some minor issues with it. Furthermore, reconnecting to a network will also initiate another attempt at obtaining an IP address.

  1. Open the Settings app on your phone.
  2. Go to Network & internet, and click on Wi-Fi. (The setting names may differ a little depending on your Android version and phone manufacturer.)
    android wifi
  3. Tap and hold the network that you’re trying to connect to and select Forget.
    forget wifi network
  4. Select the network again and enter the password.
    reconnect to a wifi network
  5. Tap on Connect to reconnect to that Wi-Fi.

Change to a Static IP Address

The router will automatically assign a dynamic (temporary) IP address to your device using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). When your device can’t receive the dynamic IP address, you will face this error.

So, you can circumvent this issue by manually entering a static (permanent) IP address to your device. This will ensure you only use a single permanent IP address to connect to your router, and the router doesn’t have to assign an IP address to your device.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Go to Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
  3. Tap and hold the network showing the error, and select Forget.
  4. Select the same network again, and enter its password.
  5. Tap on the Advanced options or View more option to expand the menu.
    wifi network view more
  6. Under IP settings, tap on DHCP to expand the drop-down menu, and select Static.
    set static ip address
  7. Under Gateway, enter the IP address of your router. (The IP address of your router can be found at the back of your router on a sticker.)
  8. Under IP address, enter the IP address of your router, and change the last numeric value to anything from 2-225.
    set static ip address parameters
  9. Under DNS 1 and DNS 2, enter a DNS server of your choice. (If you don’t have a specific DNS server that you want to use, you can use Google’s public DNS server, 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.)
  10. Tap on Connect.
    connect to a wifi with static ip

If your phone is connected to the network but has no internet access, you can try changing your static IP address again in Step 8. This error can occur if your manually assigned IP address is already in use by another device.

Reset Network Settings

This error can also be caused by issues in the network settings on your mobile device. So, you can try resetting your network settings to flush out all network related data, and also revert your network settings to default.

  1. Launch Settings on your phone.
  2. Scroll down and select System.
    settings system
  3. Tap on Reset options, and select Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. (If you can’t find this option, you can instead search for reset in the search bar, and tap on the appropriate setting.)
    reset network settings android
  4. Tap on Reset settings, and unlock your phone using your login credentials.
  5. Select Reset settings again.
    confirm reset all network settings

Reset Your Router

If none of the above methods work, you can try resetting your router to revert all of your router settings to default. This will ensure any misconfigured settings or personal settings like infinite DHCP lease, or a small DHCP pool setting that could have caused this issue to be resolved.

Note: Resetting your router will revert all of your personal router settings to default, and you will have to manually set up your network again.
  1. Make sure your router is plugged in and running.
  2. Locate the small reset button in your router. (It should be labeled reset or have the reset icon.)
    router reset button
  3. Press and hold the reset button for at least ten seconds.
  4. After the reset completes, you will need to reconfigure your network.
  5. Connect to the default network of the router. (The default network SSID and password should be at the back of your router.)
  6. Open a browser of your choice, and enter the IP address of your router. (The router’s IP address should also be at the back.)
  7. Login to your router portal using the login details on the back of your router.
    login to tplink router portAL
  8. Go to the Wireless setting or something equivalent. (Different routers have different router portal user interfaces, so you might need to browse the settings a little to find what you’re looking for.)
  9. In SSID, enter a new name for your Wi-Fi.
    reconfigure network ssid and encryption
  10. In Security, choose a WPA2 option. (All versions previous to WPA2 like WPA and WEP aren’t secure, and the latest WPA3 version is supported on very few devices.)
  11. Set up a password for your Wi-Fi and hit Save.
    save wifi configuration

The above network configuration steps are for a TP-Link router, and the steps will differ a little depending on your router.

fix
Bishwo Tamli

I'm a tech enthusiast, and I've always been troubleshooting errors by myself for years. I also like keeping up to date with the latest technology and gadgets.

Related Posts

intel wireless ac 9560 not working

Intel Wireless AC 9560 Not Working? Try these Fixes

September 16, 2023
does your ip address change when you move

Does Your IP Address Change When You Move?

July 16, 2023
locate wifi access point

How to Locate a Wi-Fi Access Point

July 6, 2023
lease time dhcp

What is DHCP Lease time? Can You Change It?

July 2, 2023
How to Forget a Network

How to Forget a Network on Windows

June 27, 2023
how to find router’s ip address

How to Find Router’s IP Address

June 25, 2023
Add A Comment

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Latest Posts
how to turn off hardware acceleration

How to Turn Off Hardware Acceleration

September 22, 2023
motherboard chipset

Understanding Motherboard Chipset and Its Importance

September 20, 2023
Naval-Warfare-Games

Best Naval Warfare Games

September 18, 2023
You may also like
printer-not-printing

How to Fix a Printer That’s Not Printing

September 20, 2023
Share Location With Friends and Family

Share Location With Friends and Family (iPhone and Android)

September 18, 2023
how-to-print-without-a-printer

How to Print Without a Printer

September 18, 2023
Recommended
Cookie Clicker Garden Guide

Cookie Clicker Garden Guide to Unlocking Every Seed

September 26, 2021
monitor no signal

Computer Turns On But Monitor Says No Signal (9 Ways To Fix)

November 10, 2022
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
© 2023 TechNewsToday, editor@technewstoday.com | Tech Central Pvt. Ltd.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.