Every computer which is connected to a network has a unique IP address assigned to it and this is the address by which your computer gets recognised on the internet and data transfer becomes possible. The IP address can be assigned to any computer in two ways, either a dynamic IP address or a Static IP address. A dynamic IP address is the one which is provided to your computer by the DHCP enabled device. This device could be your router or modem or any other server. Static IP address is the one which is manually entered into the LAN settings and it cannot be changed and can neither be overwritten by the DHCP device.
At times it happens that your computer is connected to the internet physically your LAN connection is enabled but still your computer is not able to browse the websites. When you move your mouse pointer to the LAN, or WLAN icon in the status bar, it shows Local or Limited connectivity. This happens only in case of Dynamic IP address assignment because you computer is not able to get a valid IP address from the DHCP server. DHCP stand for Dynamic Host Control Protocol and it is its task to assign IP addresses to devices when they boot. If your computer shows Limited or No Connectivity the reasons could be many but an attempt to manually renew the IP address is a wise troubleshooting step.
One way to renew your Windows 7 computer’s IP address is by going to Control Panel and opening Network and Sharing Center. In Network and sharing Center window click on the link in the left pane, which says – Manage Network Connections. When you get the Network Connection Window opens Right click on the LAN icon if you are connected by a LAN cable or click on the Wireless icon if you are connected wirelessly. In the context menu click on Disable and wait for few seconds until the status shows up as Disabled. Once the connection gets Disabled right click on the icon again and click on Enable. Again wait for few seconds until the status changes to Enabled.
Another way to renew the IP address is from the Command Prompt. This can be done by Clicking on Start menu and typing Command. When the Command option gets listed in the menu, right click on it and select Run as Administrator. This will open a DOS type Command Prompt window for you. There type the following command first – “ipconfig /release”. This command releases the temporary/incorrect IP address which is assigned to your computer and disconnects any kind of connection on the network. Once the command gets through and you are back to the prompt type another command which is “ipconfig /renew”. This command communicates to the DHCP server and tries to get an IP address assigned to it self. Once you are back to the prompt type “Exit” to close the command prompt. This happens for the LAN/WLAN cards which are enabled on your computer.
These methods discussed above were for Renewing the IP address on any Windows computer and if the Limited Connectivity issues was because of non-assignment of IP address by the DHCP, then it will get resolved else you need to do further troubleshooting for this problem.
