For some reason, Windows 10 was failing to connect to any WiFi network for around a month unless I would manually configure the network settings (IP Address, Subnet Mask, Gateway, etc.) in the network and sharing center. It eventually came to the point that it just would not connect to any WiFi networks at all. Eventually, I found out that for some reason, Windows was not getting IPv4 and IPv6 addresses properly, usually choosing extremely wrong and sometimes invalid addresses (the IPv4 address chosen being 169.254.237.208 when the modem follows a strict format of 192.168.1.xx). This strange issue was also happening with WiFi netwoks that use IPv6 addresses (it tried using fe80::3566:8e59:c27c:edd0%24 as an IPv6 address). After investigating some more, I found that disabling TinyWall and attempting to reconnect to a WiFi network makes Windows get all network details like it should. I re-enabled TinyWall, and the issues don't come back up. Could someone please explain why my Windows install was having this strange issue for so long and that disabling TinyWall and reconnecting was the apparent fix? I am on Windows 10 Build 17763.529, if that is of any importance.
169.254.X.X ip addresses format means Windows cannot join the DHCP to get a correct IP in the range defined by a box for example. So for me it is coming from the router or configuration of TinyWall
TinyWall has not been updated since 2016, and even back then caused problems. You are lucky to get it working at all, considering its certificate is expired as well. Obviously security is not your primary concern.
169.254.x.x is an APIPA /ZeroConf) address. It is not invalid nor wrong. Windows auto-assigns an IP from the 169.254.0.0/16 range if getting a lease from the DHCP server(s) fail(s). fe80:: IPv6 addresses are link-local addresses. They are always auto-assigned. Devices usually have multiple IPv6 addresses assigned (was uncommon for IPv4 but is also possible). Even the %24 is not wrong, it's called a scope ID (usually the number Windows assigns to the adapter or connection). Summary: Something blocks necessary communication for DHCP protocol and/or router advertisements (IPv6). You know the culprit already.
Oh boy, I didn't actually realize that, and yet before this issue came up it had no actual problems. Needless to say I'm removing it straight away. What other 3rd party firewall exists that blocks everything unless I specifically unblock an application though? As that is the reason I installed TinyWall in the first place.
I think that Comodo is the best, it doesn't seem to use Windows Filtering Platform but rather is a fully standalone firewall. The is a difference between Comodo and other firewall software that I have noticed. With other software when I configure it to block everything unless I explicit allow it and I open some app/game then it will have no access to internet even after I click allow until I exit and re open it but with Comodo it gets access to internet connection as soon as I click allow and I don't have to re open it.
Very strange that applications wouldn't have network access until you restarted them. I guess it purely depends on the firewall, as the firewall I am using now does not have that issue (I am using simplewall, the one available on GitHub). But yeah, I also heard about Comodo firewall, and even seen some YouTube channels focused around security and malware analysis use that firewall in their VMs.