Reset Windows Network from the Command Line (2026)

Verified June 2026 · tested on Windows 11 24H2, Windows 10 22H2 & Server 2022/2025

Quick Reference: Essential Commands

Open an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell (right-click → Run as administrator) and run these in order. The whole sequence rebuilds the network stack from scratch:

# 1. Reset the Winsock catalog (LSPs, proxy hooks)
netsh winsock reset

# 2. Reset the TCP/IP stack to defaults
netsh int ip reset

# 3. Flush the DNS resolver cache
ipconfig /flushdns

# --- REBOOT NOW (steps 1 & 2 require a restart) ---

# 4. Drop the current DHCP lease, then request a new one
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Which reset do you need?

• Wrong IP, "limited connectivity", VPN/proxy left junk behind → netsh winsock reset
• TCP/IP stack corrupted, bad routes or stack settings → netsh int ip reset
• Site resolves to the wrong server, DNS record changed → ipconfig /flushdns
• Stuck DHCP lease / no IP address → ipconfig /release and /renew
• Only IPv4 or only IPv6 is broken → netsh interface ipv4/ipv6 reset

Jump to the section you need below. If you only have one problem, prefer the targeted command — you rarely need the whole sequence.

netsh winsock reset: Rebuild the Winsock Catalog

netsh winsock reset returns the Winsock catalog to its default state. Winsock is the Windows Sockets API layer that every network app uses; third-party software (VPN clients, antivirus, proxies) inserts Layered Service Providers (LSPs) into this catalog, and a botched uninstall can leave broken hooks that break all connectivity. This command strips them out.

Windows 10Windows 11Server 2016+Built in — no module⚠ Requires reboot

netsh winsock Switch Reference

netsh winsock Usage Examples

# Standard reset — the one you almost always want
netsh winsock reset

# Inspect the catalog before resetting (find rogue LSPs)
netsh winsock show catalog

# Review which LSPs were added/removed over time
netsh winsock audit

Warning: netsh winsock reset removes all third-party LSPs from the catalog. Software that depends on them — some VPNs, parental-control filters, or legacy security products — may stop working until reinstalled. After running it you must reboot before the change is fully applied. Windows prints "You must restart the computer in order to complete the reset."

netsh int ip reset: Reset the TCP/IP Stack

netsh int ip reset (long form netsh interface ip reset) rewrites the TCP/IP configuration registry keys back to their clean installation defaults. This is the command-line equivalent of removing and reinstalling the TCP/IP protocol: it clears corrupted stack parameters, stale static routes, and bad IP settings that survive a normal reboot.

Windows 10Windows 11Server 2016+Built in — no module⚠ Requires reboot

netsh int ip Switch Reference

netsh int ip Usage Examples

# Reset the full TCP/IP stack (IPv4 + IPv6)
netsh int ip reset

# Reset and capture exactly what changed to a log file
netsh int ip reset C:\resetlog.txt

# Long form — identical behaviour
netsh interface ip reset

Warning: This command erases custom IP, DNS, gateway, and routing configuration and reverts the stack to defaults. Record any static IP addresses, DNS servers, or persistent routes beforehand — you will need to re-enter them. A reboot is required to complete the reset.

Note: On Windows 10/11 you may see Access is denied printed for one or two registry keys (such as Reset Tcpip\Parameters). This is expected on modern builds and does not mean the reset failed — the rest of the stack is still reset successfully.

ipconfig /flushdns: Clear the DNS Cache

ipconfig /flushdns empties the local DNS resolver cache. Windows caches every name it looks up; when a DNS record changes (or malware/an old cache entry points a hostname at the wrong IP), the stale entry can stick around until it expires. Flushing forces the next lookup to query your DNS server fresh.

Windows 10Windows 11Server 2016+Built in — no moduleNo reboot needed

ipconfig DNS Switch Reference

ipconfig DNS Usage Examples

# Flush the DNS resolver cache (Command Prompt or PowerShell)
ipconfig /flushdns

# See what is currently cached before flushing
ipconfig /displaydns

# Re-register this computer's DNS records and renew leases
ipconfig /registerdns

# PowerShell-native equivalent of /flushdns
Clear-DnsClientCache

# Inspect the cache the PowerShell way
Get-DnsClientCache

Tip: Flushing DNS is non-destructive and needs no reboot — it is the safest first thing to try when a single site or service resolves incorrectly. Clear-DnsClientCache and ipconfig /flushdns do exactly the same thing; use whichever shell you already have open.

ipconfig /release & /renew: Get a Fresh DHCP Lease

These two commands cycle your DHCP lease. ipconfig /release tells the DHCP server to reclaim the address currently assigned to the adapter, leaving it with no IP. ipconfig /renew then requests a brand-new lease. Run them as a pair to recover from a bad address, an APIPA 169.254.x.x self-assignment, or a DHCP server that handed out the wrong scope.

Windows 10Windows 11Server 2016+Built in — no moduleDHCP adapters only

ipconfig DHCP Switch Reference

ipconfig DHCP Usage Examples

# Drop and re-request the IPv4 lease on every adapter
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

# Target a single adapter by name (use the name from ipconfig /all)
ipconfig /release "Ethernet"
ipconfig /renew "Ethernet"

# Cycle the IPv6 lease as well
ipconfig /release6
ipconfig /renew6

# Confirm the new lease, gateway, and DNS servers
ipconfig /all

Warning: ipconfig /release drops your IP address and will break any active connection — including the remote session you are using. Never run it on a remote/RDP machine unless you have out-of-band access, because the box may not come back on the same address.

netsh interface ipv4 / ipv6 reset: Per-Protocol Reset

When only one IP version is broken — a stuck IPv6 link-local address, or an IPv4 stack that picked up bad parameters — you can reset a single protocol instead of the whole stack. netsh int ip reset does both at once; these target one each.

Windows 10Windows 11Server 2016+Built in — no module⚠ Requires reboot

Per-Protocol Switch Reference

Per-Protocol Usage Examples

# Reset only IPv6 (e.g. stuck link-local / no IPv6 connectivity)
netsh interface ipv6 reset

# Reset only IPv4, leaving IPv6 untouched
netsh interface ipv4 reset

# Review IPv4 config before you wipe it
netsh interface ipv4 show config

Warning: Like the combined reset, each per-protocol reset reverts that stack to defaults and requires a reboot. Save any static addresses or DNS entries for that protocol first.

Troubleshooting: Common Network Reset Errors

Each row is deep-linkable — share a specific error with …#net-access-denied, and the row highlights on arrival.

Full Reset vs. Targeted Fix: When to Use Each

A full Winsock + TCP/IP reset is powerful but broad — it reverts custom configuration and forces a reboot. Work from the least disruptive fix upward:

• Name resolution is wrong (a site loads the old server) → ipconfig /flushdns only. No reboot.
• Bad / missing IP address (169.254.x.x, wrong subnet) → ipconfig /release then /renew. No reboot.
• One protocol misbehaving (IPv6 stuck, IPv4 fine) → netsh interface ipv6 reset (or ipv4). Reboot.
• Persistent "limited connectivity", LSP/proxy corruption, leftover VPN hooks → full sequence: netsh winsock reset + netsh int ip reset + ipconfig /flushdns, then reboot, then release/renew.

If connectivity is still broken after the full reset and a reboot, the fault is almost always outside the stack — a NIC driver, the router, or the ISP. Resetting again will not help; update the driver and test a second device on the same network.

Version-Specific & Compatibility Notes

• Windows 11 / 10: netsh, ipconfig, and Clear-DnsClientCache are identical across modern builds. The Access is denied message on a couple of registry keys during netsh int ip reset is normal on both and does not indicate failure.
• Windows Server 2016–2025: Same commands. On a server with multiple NICs, prefer the per-adapter forms (ipconfig /release "Ethernet") so you do not drop management interfaces by accident.
• Settings app "Network reset": Settings → Network & internet → Advanced → Network reset runs the equivalent of these commands plus removes and reinstalls every adapter and forgets saved Wi-Fi/VPN profiles. Use it only when the targeted commands fail.
• PowerShell vs. Command Prompt: Every command here runs in both. ipconfig /flushdns ⇄ Clear-DnsClientCache and ipconfig /displaydns ⇄ Get-DnsClientCache are interchangeable.
• Always reboot once: After winsock reset, int ip reset, or a per-protocol reset, the change is staged in the registry and only applied on restart. Batch your resets and reboot a single time at the end.