I intend to assign a static IP to my Windows 7 system. I do this using Local Area Connection > Properties > TCP/IPv4 > Properties > provide the IP, subnet mask and default gateway.

However when I click OK and get back to the main menu, the diagnostics report says:

DHCP is not enabled for "Local Area Connection"

Am I missing something here?

3

8 Answers

Try this:

Let Windows turn on DHCP. Next, go to the Network and Sharing Center and press Change Adapter Settings. Right-click "Local Area Connection" and select Status. Press Details.

Write down your:

• IPv4 Address - Your computer's address.
• IPv4 Subnet Mask - Identifies which IP addresses are neighbours and which are on other networks.
• IPv4 Default Gateway - Your gateway to the Internet.
• IPv4 DNS Server - Translates names like into IP addresses like 74.125.237.49.

Close this window. Now you can set you static IP address.

Type in the same Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and DNS Server as you had before. Your subnet mask will probably be 255.255.255.0. If so, then the first three numbers in your IP Address must stay the same as the DHCP assigned address. For example, if you had 192.168.0.100, you must use something like 192.168.0.xxx, where you can choose xxx.

1

I had the same problem, but, I found with having a lot of devices in my LAN, often a device would take the IP I wanted as static. Try setting the IP at a higher number, I chose 8, had problems, but when I changed it to 250 I was ok. I am guessing the router assigns from lowest to highest?

Just a thought :)

It sounds like you're setting the wrong static IP address, netmask, and / or gateway.

The diagnostics tool wouldn't complain if it was able to make network connections, but since it cannot, it assumes that the reason is that you made the mistake of assigning an incorrect IP address on a network where your computer should receive its IP address using DHCP. It may not be right about the last part.

You should re-check the network settings; get in touch with the person in charge of the network and have them verify the settings for you and/or help diagnose the issue.

1

Don't hit diagnose. If you set a static IP and then let the OS diagnose your iP "problem" it is ALWAYS going to suggest you turn DHCP on.

Which makes sense. If you put in the right static IP address and you can't get internet, either you put in the wrong IP address or it has nothing to do with your computer and the problem is else where.

After you put in a static IP, you don't need to reset the network card or anything. The network packets will automatically be routed to whatever settings you put in.

1

This error is not bound up with good or wrong settings of IP address, mask etc.

Possible cause: dhcp service stopped, virus blocking dhcp service. Try reseting the dhcp service.

• Do u have other NIC in this machine? Try setting the same "numbers" on other NIC or on other machine.

• try to disable IPV6 also.

Try setting DNS to a DNS service such as Google's.

• Preferred: 8.8.8.8
• Alternate: 8.8.4.4

Initially I thought I was assigning the wrong address. While switching on DHCP after diagnostics helped, I wanted a static IP for pen test purposes. Setting the DNS to - in my case it was Google's DNS - worked.

1

I had to make sure the assigned static IP was outside the range the DHCP could assign. It was set to start at .101 with a maximum of 154 dynamic addresses so I had to assign higher than .255; or since I wanted to use .200+ range, I reduced the maximum number of dynamic addresses to 100.

This is applicable to Windows 10 Pro, but may be the answer for other Windows versions.

The DNS addresses will be incorrect unless manually input when you set a static IP address for TCP/IPv4. The DNS address should be the router which controls IP addresses and internet connection acting as the domain name server connection to the internet which must be manually entered when entering the static IP address.

Windows 10 Pro

Select Settings/Network & Internet/Ethernet/Change adapter options Double click Ethernet icon and on opened Ethernet status window click 'Properties'.

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

Select the radio button for 'Use the following IP address'. The DNS radio button automatically switches to 'Use the following DNS server addresses'.

Enter the static IP address (usually 192.168.1.???), Subnet mask usually (255.255.255.0), the Default Gateway (usually 192.168.1.1) AND the Preferred DNS server as the same as the Default Gateway.

You cannot switch the DNS server back to automatic if you have selected a static IP address. If you leave the preferred DNS server blank an invalid dns server ffff...Garbage..ffff is used and no internet connection is available giving the diagnostic message 'DHCP is not enabled for "Local Area Connection"'. Which is, in true Microsoft style, misleading as the problem is the DNS address and not DHCP.

Not sure what to put as an Alternate DNS server so I left that blank.

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