Troubleshooting Windows Server: Why Your DHCP Lease Isn’t Being Released 

When attempting to set a static IP address in Windows Server Core Edition through the Command Prompt, you might encounter the error “Failed to release DHCP Lease.” This issue can arise during any changes to your network adapter’s settings. Here’s a look at potential solutions you can take if you face this problem.

Fixing the DHCP Lease Release Issue

If you receive the error related to failing to release the DHCP lease, consider the following solutions:

1. Check for Server Updates
2. Force Change the IP Address
3. Restart the DHCP Client Service

1. Check for Server Updates

Issues related to network settings can occur if your server’s operating system has bugs in its current version. To check for updates, navigate to Settings, then to Update & Security, and select Check for updates. Install any available updates and reboot your system to see if the issue resolves.

2. Force Change the IP Address

If no updates are available, you may need to manually change the server’s IP address using PowerShell. Here’s how to proceed:

1. Open PowerShell as an administrator.
2. List your network adapters using the following command:

   Get-NetAdapter

   If uncertain about which adapter to configure, you can cross-reference it with:

   ipconfig /all

3. Remove the current IP address assigned to your network interface using the command:

   Remove-NetIPAddress -InterfaceAlias Ethernet -confirm:$False

   Replace “Ethernet” with the actual alias if necessary.

4. Assign a new IP address with the following command:

   New-NetIPAddress -InterfaceAlias {NAME} -IPAddress {IP} -PrefixLength {L} -DefaultGateway {GATEWAY_IP}

   Replace the placeholders with the appropriate values for your network.

3. Restart the DHCP Client Service

The DHCP Client Service manages automatic IP address allocation within your network. If you face issues, you can restart this service. Open PowerShell and execute:

Restart-Service DhcpClient

After this, if the issue persists, consider running:

netsh winsock reset

This can help reset the Winsock protocol if necessary.

Additional Insights

• Resolving DHCP Lease Failures: If your DHCP lease fails, you might find it beneficial to follow the same steps above—check for updates, manually set the IP, or restart the DHCP Client Service.
• Causes of DHCP Failure: Possible reasons for DHCP failures include IP address conflicts, misconfigured DHCP servers, or a lack of available IP addresses. Searching for solutions based on specific error messages can also be helpful.

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