Fix: “Can’t connect to your DHCP server” Error in Xbox

The Xbox Can’t Connect to DHCP Server Issue is an error that many users have encountered when trying to bring their console online. When launching the console and trying to connect to the internet, this error message appears on the screen and doesn’t let them complete the process. The error code forbids them from doing any online activity. This issue is being encountered on both old-gen (Xbox 360, Xbox One) and current-gen Xbox (Xbox Series S / X) consoles.

The main cause for this issue is a network issue. This can be caused by the MAC address if you’ve changed it from automatic in the past. Another cause could be that the internet is unable to connect due to the IPv4 settings being set incorrectly. You should also check your router because the current settings that it is using could be problematic.

Here is a list of methods that will help you with this Xbox issue:

1. Clear your Alternative MAC address

This issue could be caused by the Alternative MAC address that you’ve set in the past. This is a router/modem-related issue that is affecting your network connection. The MAC address that you’ve set might’ve become problematic, making your Xbox unable to connect to the DHCP server.

In this case, you should be able to fix this issue by clearing the Alternative MAC address from your Xbox Settings.

Here is a guide that will show you how to do it:

1. From the home screen, press the Xbox button on your controller to open the Guide menu.

   

2. Navigate to the Settings section and select the Settings menu.

   

3. Select the General tab and access the Network settings section.

   

4. Next, access the Advanced settings.

   

5. Now select the Alternative MAC address button.

   

6. Select the Clean button to reset the MAC address to the default.

   

7. Reset your console and see if the Xbox Can’t Connect to DHCP Server issue has been fixed.

2. Set the IPv4 Settings on your Xbox

Another cause could be that the internet connection is unable to connect to the DHCP Server. This can happen because the IPv4 Settings are not the same on your Xbox connection as there are for your network connection.

You should first need to find which is the correct IP and IPv4 address for your network connection. After that, you need to go back to your Xbox console and change both the IP and DNS settings to the correct ones.

Here are the steps on how to do this:

1. Connect the Ethernet cable from your console to the computer. In case you are using Wi-Fi, make sure to connect to the exact network connection.
2. Go to your PC and press the Windows key + R to open a Run dialog box. Type inside the search bar ‘cmd‘, and press to open the Command Prompt.

   

3. Type ‘ipconfig/all‘ inside the Command Prompt, then press Enter to see all the details related to your network connection.

   

4. In case you are using an Ethernet connection, go to the Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network connection. In the other case, go to the Wireless Lan adapter WiFi.
5. You will need the IPv4 Address, DHCP Server, and DNS Servers. Take a picture of them or copy them somewhere.

   

6. Now go back to your Xbox console and reconnect it to the internet connection that you’ve used on your computer.
7. Go back to the Network settings and access the Advanced settings.

   

8. Access the IPv4 Settings and select Manual.

   

9. Now you need to insert the exact IPv4 Settings address that you’ve saw on your computer.
10. You will be then asked for the DHCP Server, insert it as well.
11. Select the DNS Settings and select Manual, then type the DNS Settings for your computer.

    

12. Test the connection to see if that was enough to fix your issue.
13. You might encounter the error again. Repeat the test connection process 3 or 4 times.
14. If that wasn’t enough as well, turn off the console and unplug the Ethernet cable. Leave it like that for some minutes, then turn the console back on.

    

15. Plug the Ethernet cable back into the console when it has turned on.
16. If the issue is still appearing, go back to Advanced Settings. 
17. Set the IP settings and DNS Settings back to Automatic. This time it will set the correct addresses.

    

18. Test your connection and the Xbox Can’t Connect to DHCP Server issue should be fixed.

3. Restart/Reset your router

This Xbox issue could be also caused by your own router or modem. This could happen because your router/modem is unable to connect to the DHCP Server due to a problem that is currently happening to it.

You should be able to fix this issue by performing a simple network restart. This process won’t affect your network connections as well as the network credentials. All you need to do is to press the ON/OFF buttons that you have on your router and leave it turned off for about 20 seconds.

In case your router doesn’t have this button, you could simply restart it by removing the power cable from it to force a refresh. When a few seconds have passed, turn it on again to see if the problem was fixed.

If you’ve done it and the error still appears, the next thing you should do is reset the router/modem. This process will reset all the custom login credentials that you’ve set in the past, reverting them back to the default values.

Note: Most router manufacturers have admin as both the username and password.

To reset the router, you will need a needle or toothpick to be able to press the button. Use the tool to press the Reset button, and keep it pressed for about 10 seconds. You should be able to see that all the LEDs will flash at the same time, meaning that the reset process was complete.

All that is left to do is to configure your router again. Once you manage to get it to work, connect your Xbox to it and see if the Can’t Connect to DHCP Server issue has been finally fixed.