Windows 10 WiFi DNS Server Address stuck. WiFi is connected but no internet.

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When I ran ipconfig /all I found a a DNS server address that didn’t belong there. Having the wrong DNS server can prevent you from accessing local resources by name. In my case, having this entry stuck at 1.1.1.1, which is a real DNS server, even prevented me from accessing the internet.

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I tried:

• ipconfig /release && ipconfig /renew
• rolling back driver of WiFi adapter
• manually setting DNS server to local server at 192.168.10.10 and to Google’s 8.8.8.8 to get internet access again and then undoing along with more ipconfig /release && ipconfig /renew

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The ipconfig commands should have asked the DHCP server for a new DNS address. The DHCP server was configured to hand out 192.168.10.10 so the DNS Server address I was getting was stuck there. I was beginning to think I would need to dive into the registry to find some setting that was “tattooed.” That was confirmed when I found this post online by Superuser contributor 4AM. Thanks 4AM!

SOLUTION

Open your registry and go to this address:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Current Control Set\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces

Delete the Profile Name Server entry of the offending interface. My screenshot below shows it as empty because I already deleted it and it came back with an empty entry.

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Delete the Profile Name Server entry

After this I think I ran ipconfig /release && ipconfig /renew one last time or I disconnected and reconnected the WiFi network (reboots always help too). Either way it should start to work again after you delete the registry entry.

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