Why does this happen only on my Mac?

Other devices may have cached IP leases. Your Mac's network config may be corrupted. Delete network preferences and rejoin the network.

Should I use a static IP?

As a temporary workaround, yes. Set an IP in your router's range (e.g., 192.168.1.200) with your router as gateway and 8.8.8.8 as DNS.

Mac Wi-Fi Connected But No Internet — Self-Assigned IP Address

Warningnetwork

Overview

Fix Mac Wi-Fi 'connected with no internet' and self-assigned IP address issues caused by DHCP failures, DNS problems, or network configuration corruption.

Key Details

A self-assigned IP (169.254.x.x) means DHCP failed and the Mac assigned itself an address
Wi-Fi shows connected but no internet access with this IP
The Mac successfully associated with the Wi-Fi network but could not get an IP from the router
Multiple causes: DHCP server down, IP pool exhausted, or Mac network config corrupted
macOS network preferences stored in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/

Common Causes

Router DHCP server not responding or its IP pool is exhausted
Corrupted network configuration files on the Mac
IP address conflict — another device has the same IP assigned
Wi-Fi interference causing packet loss during DHCP negotiation
VPN or network extension corrupting network settings

Steps

1Renew DHCP lease: System Settings > Wi-Fi > Details for your network > TCP/IP > Renew DHCP Lease
2Forget and rejoin the network: Wi-Fi settings > Details > Forget This Network, then reconnect
3Delete network preferences: sudo rm /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.airport.preferences.plist then restart
4Try manual IP: set a static IP in the same subnet as your router (e.g., 192.168.1.200)
5Restart router and Mac — DHCP issues often resolve with a fresh start