My Windows 11 PC has partial connectivity on my home FRITZ!Box network. IPv6 works normally, but IPv4 fails. DHCP never provides an IPv4 lease, so Windows assigns an APIPA address in the 169.254.x.x range. If I configure a static IPv4 address, the PC can ping the router at 192.168.178.1, but IPv4 destinations such as 8.8.8.8, Steam, and Stack Overflow time out.
Other computers on the same network receive IPv4 leases and access the internet normally. The affected PC also works perfectly with both IPv4 and IPv6 when connected to a phone hotspot, and the same static configuration works on another laptop. I have already tried an in-place Windows repair, Winsock and TCP/IP resets, and MAC-address spoofing without success.
What router-side or local Layer 2/3 issue could allow the PC to reach the gateway while silently dropping its outbound IPv4 traffic?
3 Answers
This could be a stale device profile or access restriction inside the FRITZ!Box. A router may still answer local gateway pings while applying filtering or lease restrictions to traffic going toward the internet. Check the router's device list and remove the old entry for this PC, including any parental-control or access-profile assignment. Then restart the router and PC and let the computer request a fresh DHCP lease. MAC spoofing may not clear every existing device record, especially if the router has retained an old profile or lease association.
Check the Windows routing table before assuming the adapter is defective. Run `ipconfig /all` and `route print`, and look for VPN or virtual adapters from software such as WireGuard, Tailscale, Hyper-V, or an old corporate client. A stray default route, an incorrect gateway, or a more-specific route could allow local access while sending WAN traffic to the wrong interface. Temporarily disabling nonessential adapters and VPN software is a useful test.
Also inspect Windows Defender Firewall and other security software for rules tied specifically to the home network profile. Since the hotspot works, a profile-dependent firewall or filtering driver is possible. Compare the adapter's IPv4 settings, default gateway, DNS, and metric on the home network, then test with third-party VPN and security-filter drivers disabled. If the router still shows no DHCP request or NAT traffic from this machine, its device profile or access-control state becomes the stronger suspect.
Related Questions
Can't Load PhpMyadmin On After Server Update
Redirect www to non-www in Apache Conf
How To Check If Your SSL Cert Is SHA 1
Windows TrackPad Gestures