Short answer: most of the time Internet Connection Sharing doesn’t work in Windows 10 because one or more services, adapter settings, firewall rules, driver/adapter limitations, or IP/DHCP conflicts are misconfigured. This article walks you through the 12 most common causes and exact steps to fix each one so you can get sharing working again.
You’ll learn how to check and start the required Windows services, choose the correct adapter to share, resolve IP and DHCP conflicts, allow sharing through firewalls, update drivers, and verify hardware and policy restrictions — with clear, beginner-friendly steps and handy commands.
Key Takeaway
Enable and start the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service, ensure the correct adapter is selected for sharing, resolve any IP or DHCP conflicts, and temporarily disable firewall/third-party VPNs to test; these actions fix most ICS failures in Windows 10.
Quick Fix Guide
Quick Fix Guide
| Reason for the Problem | Quick Solution |
|---|---|
| 1. ICS service is stopped or disabled | Start and set Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) to Automatic in services.msc. |
| 2. Wrong adapter selected for sharing | On the host, enable Sharing on the adapter that has internet and pick the correct home connection. |
| 3. Windows Firewall or third‑party firewall blocking sharing | Temporarily disable firewall or add an exception for ICS to test. |
| 4. Network adapter driver issues | Update or reinstall the network driver in Device Manager. |
| 5. IP address or subnet conflicts | Reset adapter IPs or set the shared adapter to the correct IP (ICS uses 192.168.137.1). |
| 6. Another DHCP server or router conflict | Disable extra DHCP servers or remove conflicting router DHCP for the ICS subnet. |
| 7. VPN or proxy interfering | Disconnect VPN/proxy on host or share the VPN adapter explicitly if supported. |
| 8. Network profile set to Public | Change connection profile to Private in Settings → Network & Internet. |
| 9. Wireless adapter doesn’t support hosted network | Check with netsh wlan show drivers and use compatible hardware or Mobile Hotspot. |
| 10. Network bridge or incorrect bridging | Remove unintended bridge in Network Connections and recreate sharing. |
| 11. Group Policy / admin restrictions | Check gpedit.msc or talk to your admin if policies disable ICS. |
| 12. Windows bugs or outdated OS | Install Windows updates and run Network Troubleshooter; reset network stack if needed. |
Detailed Fixes for “Internet Connection Sharing doesn’t work in Windows 10”
1. ICS service is stopped or disabled
Why it causes the problem:
- ICS requires the service named Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) (service name: SharedAccess) to run. If this service is stopped or set to manual/disabled, sharing won’t function.
Step-by-step fix:
- Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
- Find Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) in the list.
- Right-click it → Properties.
- Set Startup type to Automatic.
- Click Start if the service is not running, then OK.
- Restart your PC to ensure the change persists.
Notes/tips:
- If the service fails to start with an error, note the error message. This often points to permission problems or missing dependencies (like Windows Event Log or Remote Procedure Call services); verify those services are running.
2. Wrong adapter selected for sharing
Why it causes the problem:
- ICS shares one source adapter’s connection to a different local adapter. If you enable sharing on the wrong adapter, clients receive no internet.
Step-by-step fix:
- Open Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network and Sharing Center.
- Click Change adapter settings (left pane).
- Right-click the adapter that actually has internet access (for example, your Ethernet or main Wi‑Fi) → Properties → Sharing tab.
- Check Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection.
- From Home networking connection dropdown, select the adapter that will serve the local network (e.g., the virtual Wi‑Fi or Ethernet adapter connected to clients).
- Click OK.
Notes/tips:
- If you are using Windows 10’s Mobile hotspot, enable it in Settings → Network & Internet → Mobile hotspot instead; Mobile hotspot may override manual ICS settings.
3. Windows Firewall or third‑party firewall blocking sharing
Why it causes the problem:
- Firewalls can block the traffic needed to route and DHCP clients, preventing ICS from passing traffic to clients.
Step-by-step fix:
- Temporarily disable firewalls to test:
- For Windows Firewall: Settings → Update & Security → Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → select network → toggle Windows Defender Firewall off.
- For third‑party security suites, open the suite and disable network protection temporarily.
- Test connectivity from a client device.
- If disabling the firewall fixes it, create an exception for ICS or allow File and Printer Sharing and DHCP related traffic in your firewall settings.
Notes/tips:
- Do not leave firewalls disabled; rather add rules to allow UDP 67/68 (DHCP) and related routing or exclude the sharing adapter.
4. Network adapter driver issues
Why it causes the problem:
- Old or corrupt drivers may not support sharing features or hotspot/hosted network functionality.
Step-by-step fix:
- Press Windows + X → Device Manager.
- Expand Network adapters.
- Right-click the targeted adapter → Update driver → Search automatically for drivers.
- If update fails or there’s a problem, right-click → Uninstall device and restart Windows; Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver.
- Optionally download the latest driver from the adapter manufacturer’s website and install it manually.
Notes/tips:
- For Wi‑Fi adapters, installing the vendor (Intel, Realtek, Broadcom) driver often resolves hosted network/hotspot issues better than generic Microsoft drivers.
5. IP address or subnet conflicts
Why it causes the problem:
- ICS often assigns the host adapter an IP of 192.168.137.1; if your network uses the same subnet or a static IP conflicts, clients can’t route correctly.
Step-by-step fix:
- On the host, open Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → Change adapter settings.
- Right-click the local adapter → Properties → select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) → Properties.
- If you previously set a static IP that conflicts, choose Obtain an IP address automatically or set a non-conflicting static IP range.
- To reset network settings: open Command Prompt as admin and run:
- ipconfig /release
- ipconfig /renew
- ipconfig /flushdns
- netsh int ip reset
- netsh winsock reset
- Reboot the host.
Notes/tips:
- After enabling ICS, check the host IP with ipconfig /all and ensure the ICS adapter is using 192.168.137.1 (default). If another service forced a different IP, remove that configuration.
6. Another DHCP server or router conflict
Why it causes the problem:
- ICS provides DHCP for clients. If a router or another DHCP server uses the same subnet, DHCP offers conflict and clients may pick incorrect gateway/DNS.
Step-by-step fix:
- Identify DHCP servers by checking connected router settings or network devices.
- If the host and a router are both trying to allocate IPs on the same subnet, disable DHCP on the router (or reconfigure it to a different subnet).
- Alternatively, connect clients to the router and use the router’s sharing/guest network features instead of ICS.
Notes/tips:
- Use ipconfig /all on a client to see which DHCP server responded (look at “DHCP Server” IP).
7. VPN or proxy interfering
Why it causes the problem:
- VPNs change routing and may capture traffic, preventing ICS from sharing the expected internet interface.
Step-by-step fix:
- Disconnect the VPN on the host and test ICS.
- If you need VPN access on clients too, either:
- Share the VPN adapter explicitly (enable ICS on the VPN adapter if Windows allows), or
- Run VPN directly on client devices.
- For proxy settings, disable Settings → Network & Internet → Proxy or remove system proxy temporarily for testing.
Notes/tips:
- Many commercial VPN clients block ICS; consult the VPN vendor for split-tunneling or gateway sharing options.
8. Network profile set to Public
Why it causes the problem:
- Public profile is more restrictive; some discovery and sharing features are disabled when a network is labeled Public.
Step-by-step fix:
- Open Settings → Network & Internet → Status.
- Click Change connection properties.
- Under Network profile, select Private.
Notes/tips:
- Only mark trusted networks as Private; for ICS to work reliably, the host’s internet-facing adapter can safely stay Public if the sharing side is Private, but setting the local network to Private simplifies troubleshooting.
9. Wireless adapter doesn’t support hosted network or hotspot
Why it causes the problem:
- Not all wireless NICs support the legacy hosted network feature or the Wi‑Fi Direct/Hotspot stack required for mobile hotspot.
Step-by-step fix:
- Open an elevated Command Prompt and run: netsh wlan show drivers
- Look for Hosted network supported: Yes (or similar wording) or Wireless LAN supported: Yes.
- If No, either:
- Use a USB Wi‑Fi adapter that supports hosted networks, or
- Use a wired connection for sharing or use Windows Mobile hotspot which may work differently.
- To enable Mobile hotspot: Settings → Network & Internet → Mobile hotspot → toggle Share my Internet connection with other devices.
Notes/tips:
- Newer Windows versions rely on Mobile Hotspot which uses Wi‑Fi Direct — driver support is still required.
10. Network bridge or incorrect bridging
Why it causes the problem:
- Creating a bridge merges adapters in ways that can break ICS or create routing loops.
Step-by-step fix:
- Open Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → Change adapter settings.
- If you see Network Bridge, right-click it → Delete (or unbridge adapters you don’t want bridged).
- Recreate sharing on the appropriate single adapter as described in Reason 2.
Notes/tips:
- Bridges are useful for some scenarios but avoid bridging when you want ICS’s DHCP/routing to operate.
11. Group Policy / admin restrictions
Why it causes the problem:
- On domain or managed machines, administrators can disable ICS via Group Policy, preventing users from enabling it.
Step-by-step fix:
- Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter (Windows Pro/Enterprise).
- Go to Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Network → Network Connections.
- Look for any policy like Prohibit use of Internet Connection Sharing on your DNS domain network and verify it’s Not Configured or Disabled.
- If you don’t have gpedit or you’re on a corporate PC, contact your system administrator.
Notes/tips:
- Editing Group Policy should only be done if you are the admin. Home editions may need registry checks or administrative help.
12. Windows bugs or outdated OS
Why it causes the problem:
- Known Windows updates or driver incompatibilities can break ICS behavior; sometimes a Windows bug or corrupted network stack is the root cause.
Step-by-step fix:
- Run Windows Update: Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update → Check for updates.
- Run the network troubleshooter: Settings → Update & Security → Troubleshoot → Additional troubleshooters → Internet Connections and Network Adapter.
- If persistent problems, reset network: Settings → Network & Internet → Status → Network reset (this reinstalls network adapters and resets settings).
- As a last resort, consider a system restore to a point where ICS was working.
Notes/tips:
- Keep backups; Network reset will remove network adapters and VPN software may need reinstallation.
Additional tips: diagnostics and when to reset
- Useful commands to gather diagnostics:
- ipconfig /all — view IP, gateway, DHCP server on host and clients.
- netsh wlan show drivers — check hosted network support.
- netstat -rn — view routing table.
- tracert 8.8.8.8 from a client — see where traffic stops.
- If you try several fixes and nothing works, perform a Network reset (see step above) and reboot. Re-enable only what you need (one firewall, one VPN) and test again.
- Keep a note of original settings (static IPs, custom DNS) before making changes so you can revert.
FAQ
Q: Can I share a VPN connection through ICS so clients use the VPN?
A: Some VPN clients capture traffic and don’t allow ICS; you can try enabling ICS on the VPN adapter (if listed) but often the reliable approach is to run the VPN on the client or use a router that supports VPN passthrough.
Q: Does Windows Mobile Hotspot replace ICS?
A: Mobile Hotspot is a user-friendly feature that often replaces manual ICS for Wi‑Fi sharing. It’s in Settings → Network & Internet → Mobile hotspot and may work when manual ICS fails, but it still depends on driver support.
Q: How do I revert all ICS-related changes?
A: Disable sharing on the adapter (Control Panel → Network Connections → adapter → Sharing tab uncheck), stop the ICS service if you changed it, and if needed use Network reset to restore defaults.
Q: Why do clients get IPs but still have no internet?
A: If clients receive IP addresses but can’t reach the internet, check the host’s routing and DNS: ensure the host’s internet adapter has working internet, check firewall rules, and verify the host’s default gateway and DNS are valid.
Q: Can a hardware router be configured to avoid ICS entirely?
A: Yes — using a router that supports VPN, guest networks, or custom DHCP settings is generally more robust than ICS for sharing a single connection to multiple devices.
Conclusion
Most causes of Internet Connection Sharing doesn’t work in Windows 10 are fixable by starting the ICS service, selecting the correct adapter, resolving IP/DHCP conflicts, updating drivers, and temporarily disabling firewall or VPN interference. Follow the step‑by‑step checks above to identify the specific issue and restore sharing reliably.
