How to Reset TCP/IP on Windows

What Causes This?

TCP/IP is the core networking stack Windows uses to communicate with your router, local network, and the internet. When its settings become corrupted, outdated, or misconfigured, Windows may fail to get a valid IP address, resolve websites, or maintain a stable connection. This can happen after VPN software changes network settings, malware alters adapters, a bad driver update, or after switching between different networks.

Common Symptoms

• You’re connected to Wi-Fi or Ethernet, but websites and apps won’t load
• Windows shows errors like “No Internet,” “Limited connectivity,” or “Can’t reach this network”
• IP-related commands fail or return invalid network settings
• DNS lookups fail even though the network appears connected
• Network problems started after installing a VPN, firewall, or adapter software

How to Fix It Manually

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator

   • Press Start
   • Type cmd
   • Right-click Command Prompt
   • Select Run as administrator
   • Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control

2. Reset the TCP/IP stack

   • In Command Prompt, type:

     netsh int ip reset

   • Press Enter
   • This rewrites key TCP/IP registry settings back to default values

3. Reset Winsock

   • In the same window, type:

     netsh winsock reset

   • Press Enter
   • Winsock controls how Windows network apps access the network, and resetting it can clear corruption caused by software or drivers

4. Release and renew your IP address

   • Still in Command Prompt, run these commands one at a time:

     ipconfig /release
     ipconfig /renew

   • Press Enter after each command
   • If you’re on Wi-Fi, this forces Windows to request a fresh IP address from your router

5. Flush the DNS cache

   • In Command Prompt, type:

     ipconfig /flushdns

   • Press Enter
   • This clears saved DNS records that may be pointing Windows to the wrong server or stale addresses

6. Restart your PC

   • Close Command Prompt
   • Click Start > Power > Restart
   • A restart is important because some network components do not fully reload until Windows starts again

7. If the issue remains, disable and re-enable the network adapter

   • Press Windows + R, type ncpa.cpl, then press Enter
   • Right-click your active adapter (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and choose Disable
   • Wait 10 seconds, then right-click it again and choose Enable
   • Test your connection again

8. Check whether a VPN or custom DNS tool is reapplying bad settings

   • Open Settings > Network & internet
   • Review any active VPN connection and disconnect it temporarily
   • If you use third-party firewall, proxy, or DNS software, close or uninstall it and test again
   • If the problem started right after installing one of these tools, it may be rewriting network settings after every reboot

Fix It Automatically with Kudu

If you don’t want to dig through network commands and adapter settings, Kudu can detect broken network configuration, clear related junk, and help restore a cleaner connection setup automatically. It’s a faster way to fix TCP/IP and Winsock-related issues without hunting through Windows tools one by one.

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