The so-called self- assigned IP error is a common problem that affects macOS, and it occurs when the different network interfaces receive a self-assigned IP address, although in reality the system is connected to a network with a DHCP server, which has been configured correctly.
When this happens, other devices or computers connected to the same network will work fine , but when the Mac assigns itself an IP address, it will prevent the Internet from functioning normally. What’s more, even if you are connected to a WiFi network, you will not be able to use the Internet.
And even when it is possible to follow a series of basic, simple and simple steps, they do not always solve the problem, being forced to delete some files to solve the problem effectively.
Why happens?
The incident occurs when an ad-hoc network is created if necessary, but without the presence of an established network. This happens when the network port detects a suitable hardware connection, but is unable to communicate with the DHCP server to obtain a new IP address.
And this error usually occurs when the user makes major changes to the configuration of their systems, which can lead to the configuration not being migrated correctly.
Fixing Self-Assigned IP Error on Mac
When trying to solve the problem we can do several things: create a new network location, which would offer the possibility of updating the configurations of the different network ports. Or, manually update the DHCP lease to force a port reconfiguration.
While these steps can be helpful, they are often not entirely effective in troubleshooting. And this is because the main culprit is the configuration with the system’s firewall , which is why it was originally necessary to reset the firewall .
To solve it, we must open Finder , go to Go , then to Computer and click on MacOS X , then click on the Library folder and, finally, on Preferences .
Next, we must click on the folder called SystemConfiguration , and we must proceed to move the following files to the trash:
- apple.network.identification.plist
- apple.airport.preferences.plist
- plist
Once this is done, we must restart the Mac . When started, the system may request that we allow new incoming connections to many services and programs. We simply have to accept them and check if the problem has been resolved.
