IT explained · 8 min read
How to reset network settings on Windows, macOS, iPhone and Android
Written for: Support staff and users dealing with a device that shows a connection but cannot reach anything, or one that connects everywhere except at one location.
What a reset clears
In short
Resetting network settings removes the network state a device has learned over time — adapter configuration, DNS cache, stored Wi-Fi networks, VPN profiles and the TCP/IP stack settings — and rebuilds it from defaults. It fixes the class of fault where a device is physically connected but behaving illogically. It also forgets every saved Wi-Fi password, so it is worth trying the smaller checks first.
Key takeaways
- A network reset clears adapter settings, DNS cache, stored networks, VPN profiles and stack configuration, then rebuilds defaults.
- You will lose saved Wi-Fi passwords and VPN profiles, so collect them before you start, especially on a remote device.
- Try the cheaper checks first: renew the address, flush DNS, disable and re-enable the adapter, test a different network.
- Never reset network settings on a device you are supporting remotely over that same network unless you have another way back in.
- If the same device needs a reset repeatedly, the reset is masking a driver, DHCP or profile problem worth fixing properly.
What a reset actually does
Over time a device accumulates network state: an address lease, DNS answers it has cached, proxy settings, stored networks with their credentials, VPN profiles, and low-level TCP/IP parameters that software has adjusted. Most of the time that state is helpful. Occasionally a piece of it becomes wrong, and the device then behaves in ways that look impossible: connected with no internet, one site unreachable while others work, a Wi-Fi network it refuses to rejoin.
A reset removes that learned state wholesale rather than trying to identify which piece is wrong. That is its strength and its cost: it is fast and it fixes a broad class of faults, and it also throws away configuration you may need to re-enter.
- Network adapters, reinstalled and set back to defaults
- DNS resolver cache, emptied
- Saved Wi-Fi networks and their passwords, forgotten
- VPN and mobile data profiles, removed
- TCP/IP stack and Winsock catalogue on Windows, reset
Try these first
Each of these is quicker than a reset and costs you nothing, and one of them resolves most cases.
- Disable and re-enable the adapter, or toggle Wi-Fi off and on.
- Release and renew the address so DHCP issues a fresh lease.
- Flush the DNS cache, which fixes the specific symptom of one site failing while others work.
- Test the same device on a different network, such as a phone hotspot. Working there tells you the fault is the network, not the device.
- Test a different device on the same network. Failing there tells you the opposite.
- Restart the router if several devices are affected at one site.
Windows 11 and Windows 10
Windows offers a full reset through Settings and a set of targeted commands for when you want to clear one thing at a time.
macOS
macOS has no single reset button, so the equivalent is done by removing the network service and re-adding it, then clearing the DNS cache. Renewing the DHCP lease from the network settings pane is often enough on its own.
iPhone, iPad and Android
Both mobile platforms include a dedicated reset that clears Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth settings together. On iOS it lives under General, Transfer or Reset, then Reset, then Reset Network Settings. On Android the wording varies by manufacturer but sits under System, Reset options, then Reset Wi-Fi, mobile and Bluetooth.
On both platforms the device restarts and rejoins nothing automatically, so the user needs their Wi-Fi password to hand. On a corporate device with a certificate-based Wi-Fi profile, the profile has to be redeployed from your management platform, which is a good reason to check the device is enrolled before resetting it.
Resetting network settings on Windows
1. Collect what you will lose
Note the Wi-Fi networks and passwords in use, any VPN profiles, and any manually set addresses or DNS servers. These all go.
2. Try the targeted commands first
From an elevated prompt: ipconfig /release, ipconfig /renew, ipconfig /flushdns. Retest between each rather than running all three and hoping.
3. Reset the stack if that did not help
netsh int ip reset then netsh winsock reset, then reboot. This clears the low-level configuration that VPN clients and security software commonly alter.
4. Use the full reset as the last step
Settings, Network and internet, Advanced network settings, Network reset. The machine reboots and reinstalls every adapter.
5. Rejoin and verify
Reconnect Wi-Fi, reinstall the VPN profile, then confirm name resolution and general reachability rather than just the connection icon.
6. Record the fix
If this device has needed a reset before, look at drivers, DHCP reservations and the Wi-Fi profile instead. A recurring reset is a symptom, not a fix.
Common mistakes
- Resetting the network on a machine you are connected to remotely across that network, and losing your route back in.
- Resetting before writing down the Wi-Fi password, then discovering the user does not know it either.
- Forgetting certificate-based Wi-Fi and VPN profiles need redeploying from your management platform afterwards.
- Treating a repeat reset as a fix rather than evidence of a driver or DHCP fault.
Frequently asked questions
- What does resetting network settings do?
- It clears the network state a device has learned — adapters, DNS cache, saved Wi-Fi networks, VPN profiles and low-level stack settings — and rebuilds it from defaults.
- Will I lose anything if I reset network settings?
- Yes: every saved Wi-Fi network and password, VPN profiles, and any manually configured addresses or DNS servers. Files and applications are untouched.
- Does resetting network settings delete data?
- No. It only affects network configuration. Documents, photos, applications and accounts stay as they are.
- How do I reset network settings on Windows 11?
- Settings, Network and internet, Advanced network settings, Network reset. The machine reboots and reinstalls its network adapters at default settings.
- Should I reset the network or just flush DNS?
- Flush DNS first. If the symptom is that some sites fail while others work, a DNS flush is usually enough and costs you nothing.
How this works in 247connect
Because 247connect agents dial out over 443 and reconnect on their own after a reboot, a device that has just had its network reset comes back into the console without anyone needing to be at the desk.
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