Check IP address, gateway and DHCP Guided Practice

Lab brief

Know the problem and the evidence you need

The situation

A device connects to Wi-Fi or Ethernet but may not have received the settings required to reach the router and internet.

Your finished record

A local addressing and gateway diagnosis

Identify the active adapter, record non-sensitive addressing evidence and test whether the local gateway is reachable.

Why this matters

The IP address, subnet, gateway, and DHCP state reveal whether a device joined the local network correctly before DNS or internet services are blamed.

Safety and setup

Prepare before changing anything

Have this ready

Do not publish public IP addresses, complete device addresses or screenshots containing personal network names.
Do not assign a manual static IP or change DHCP settings during this lab.
Use commands only for your operating system and close command windows when finished.

Field checks

Run the lab

Complete one check at a time. Record the evidence before moving on.

0 of 5 checks complete

Check 1 of 5 Identify the active network adapter Do thisUse network settings to identify the connected Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter and confirm other adapters are not being mistaken for it. Record thisOne active adapter with a connected status.
Check 2 of 5 Record the address type Do thisRecord only whether the active adapter has a private IPv4 address, an automatic self-assigned address, IPv6 only or no address. Record thisA privacy-safe classification rather than a published full address.
Check 3 of 5 Check gateway and DHCP presence Do thisRecord whether a default gateway is present and whether settings indicate DHCP is enabled. Record thisA yes/no record for gateway presence and DHCP configuration.
Check 4 of 5 Test the local gateway Do thisUse the operating system network test or a ping to the displayed local gateway when permitted. Record thisA reachable, unreachable or blocked result recorded without assuming the reason.
Check 5 of 5 Compare another device safely Do thisCheck whether another authorized device on the same network receives a normal connection. Record thisEvidence that the issue affects one device or the wider local network.

Interpret results

Match the evidence to the next action

If you seeNext action

The device has an automatic self-assigned address and no gateway

Investigate adapter connection, DHCP availability and router status before changing DNS.

The device has a private address and gateway but cannot reach the gateway

Focus on the local link, Wi-Fi association, cable, adapter or access-point path.

The gateway responds but internet names fail

Continue with internet-IP and DNS resolution tests.

Decision point

Choose the next action

Use the first failed boundary—address assignment, local gateway or wider network—to choose the next test; do not deploy a static IP as a shortcut.

Completion

Confirm the evidence you produced

Finished record: A local addressing and gateway diagnosis

I identified the active adapter.
I classified the address and gateway state without publishing sensitive details.
I separated a one-device issue from a network-wide issue.

I recorded the evidence and selected a next action.