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Mac Has a Self-Assigned IP Address: How to Fix It

Your Mac didn't get an address from the router (DHCP), so it gave itself a 169.254.x.x address that only works for local links.

Self-assigned IP address

Your Mac asked the router for an IP address and got no reply, so it picked a link-local 169.254.x.x address. You can't reach the internet with it.

Quick checks

  • Restart the router.
  • Do other devices connect to the same network?
  • Is the router's DHCP server turned on, and does it have free addresses?

Fixes on Mac

  1. Renew the DHCP lease

    1. System Settings › Network › Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) › Details › TCP/IP › Renew DHCP Lease.
    2. Or in Terminal: sudo ipconfig set en0 DHCP.

  2. Remove and re-add the network service

    1. System Settings › Network › select the service › ⋯ › Delete Service; then ⋯ › Add Service and recreate it.

  3. Forget and rejoin Wi-Fi

    1. System Settings › Wi-Fi › ⋯ › Forget This Network, then join again.

  4. Check for conflicts

    1. Turn off any VPN, Internet Sharing and third-party firewalls.
    2. If you set a manual IP before, switch Configure IPv4 back to Using DHCP.

Fixes on Windows

  1. Windows equivalent

    1. Windows reports “No valid IP configuration”; run ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew.

Other devices

  1. Router

    1. Check the DHCP pool isn't full and MAC filtering isn't blocking your Mac (with Private Wi-Fi Address, your Mac may present a new address).

Still not working?

If renewing never works on one network, the router's DHCP is the problem: update its firmware or reset it. If it fails on every network, your Mac's network configuration may be corrupted; recreating the network service usually fixes it.

See what’s happening

Once you have a real address, LightAtom's connections view shows your apps reconnecting.

Frequently asked questions

What is a self-assigned IP address on a Mac?

A 169.254.x.x address your Mac gives itself when DHCP fails. It's only usable for direct links between devices, not for internet access.

How do I get rid of the self-assigned IP?

Renew the DHCP lease, restart the router, and if needed delete and re-add the network service in System Settings › Network.

Can MAC filtering cause a self-assigned IP?

Yes. If the router only allows known MAC addresses, Private Wi-Fi Address presents a different one. Turn Private Wi-Fi Address to Fixed or Off for that network, or update the allow-list.

Related errors and tools

Related

LightAtom team

The people who build LightAtom, a network monitor for macOS.