StudNetBonn

Check your network settings

How to set your IP address and DNS server to "obtain automatically" – the most common reason a connection does not work.

Your device needs to get its IP address and DNS servers automatically from the network (DHCP). If it doesn't, you'll get no address or the wrong one, and the connection won't work.

Windows

Set automatic IP assignment on Windows 10/11

  1. Open network settings

    Right-click the network icon in the taskbar, then Open Network & Sharing Center.

    Right-click on the network icon in the Windows taskbar

  2. Change adapter settings

    Click Change adapter settings on the left.

    Network and Sharing Center with the 'Change adapter settings' link

  3. Open connection properties

    Right-click your LAN connection, then Properties.

    List of network connections with context menu open

  4. Open IPv4 properties

    Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.

    Network connection properties dialog

  5. Set automatic assignment

    Enable Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically, then confirm with OK.

    IPv4 properties with automatic assignment enabled

If your computer doesn't restart automatically afterwards, restart it once to establish the new connection cleanly.

macOS

Open System Settings → Network and select your Ethernet adapter. The IPv4 configuration must be set to DHCP (default).

macOS network settings configured for DHCP

Linux

Network settings must be obtained automatically via DHCP. On most distributions this is the default as soon as a DHCP client (e.g. NetworkManager or dhcpcd) is active. Check your network manager to make sure the connection isn't configured with a static IP address.