Windows 11 24H2, while it works well for most users, is a huge mess for some people, and we don’t know how many PCs are affected. In October 2024, Windows Latest reported that Windows 11 24H2 has a bug that renders Wi-Fi connections useless, which means the PC no longer have internet access after the update.
Turns out the issue is widespread and still not patched. I noticed the reports of Windows 11 24H2 DHCP again when one of Windows Latest flagged a new Reddit thread on the topic titled “Win 11 24h2 and DHCP fix(WLAN or eth) | Option 43”, which goes on to talk about a bug we already reported.
Let me explain what’s going on with some of the PCs after upgrading to Windows 11 24H2 update. Before you read this article, I recommend going through my previous report on the same topic: Windows 11 24H2 issues break internet, Wi-Fi, network sharing, cause more BSODs.
It’s similar, but I’ve also highlighted some related bugs that might be breaking your internet connection.
So what’s up with DHCP, Wi-Fi and lack of internet after upgrading to Windows 11 24H2 update?
After some people started using Windows 11 24H2, they noticed that their devices were not getting an IP address. Instead, some of you might see APIPA address. For those unaware, APIPA is basically Automatic Private IP Addressing, where Windows 11 tries to automatically assign a random IP address.
This happens when DHCP server is not available. In other words, if your computer’s Wi-Fi uses DHCP and Windows 11 tries to automatically assign an IP address, it means the DHCP isn’t working as it is supposed to.
“A group of computers the pass few days have been having issue with DHCP, I can still statically set their IP address just fine. I’ve been trouble shooting the issue, slowly ruling out various setting and components,” one of the users noted after they installed Windows 11 24H2 update.
“What I have found is that all of the computers with issues have updated to Win11 v24h2, and upon rolling back the update DHCP works just fine. I then run some repairs, sync with Intune/defender and run a gp update to verify that none of those settings recreate the issue. This has occurred on both HP and Dell computers so far.”
“When running the stable version of Windows 11, I had no problems, but after updating to the preview version 24H2 of Windows 11, every time I turn on my PC, it says I have no access to the internet when I go to diagnose my network it says Windows is having trouble finding the DHCP server, I use the diagnostic tool to fix it, and it does fix the connection, but I have to do this every time I turn on my PC, and it only started happening after the update,” another user wrote an in a Feedback Hub post seen by Windows Latest.
Hundreds of people have reported the DHCP bug, and Microsoft confirmed to Windows Latest that it had seen the reports.
It looks like Microsoft has already tried to patch the problem in a November 2024 Patch Tuesday update.
According to the release notes spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft patched an issue that affected a number of devices.
“This occurs when a DHCP server response has duplicate DHCP options. This stops IPv4 connections on certain networks,” the company said.
How to fix the Windows 11 24H2 Wi-Fi DHCP issue
If you have issues with the DHCP server, try installing Windows 11’s November 2024 patch, which could help.
However, that’s not the case for everyone. Wi-Fi and DHCP connections are still broken for some people even when they use the December 2024 Patch Tuesday.
Microsoft is apparently aware of the mess, and it might share more details sometime, but it’s unclear when a proper fix will be issued. Microsoft probably doesn’t know what to do because it’s an isolated issue, and the workaround or the bug could vary from one device to another.
We have at least two workarounds that might work for some of you. The first one is easy as it requires you to change the endpoints for PCs running Windows 11 24H2. This includes changing the option type from text to string for your DNS configuration.
As soon as you change the endpoints, Windows 11 24H2’s internet should start working again.
Or you can also try these steps as they have worked for many people:
- Go to Windows Search and search regedit.
- This will open Registry Editor. In Registry Editor, you need go to HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServicesWcmSvc
- Inside the WcmSvc, try to edit the DependOnService and remove line that says: WinHTTPAutoProxySvc
- Click OK to apply changes you made here. Then, open Task Manager > Services, and restart Windows Connection Manager (WcmSvc). Do the same for WLAN AutoConfig (WlanSvc).
Remember that it’s a hit-and-miss situation, so the workarounds may not work for everyone. We recommend going back to Windows 11 23H2 till Microsoft figures out what broke DHCP and the internet in the update.
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