Fix 0X00000960 NERR_InvalidLana LAN Adapter Error

The 30-Second Check: Reboot and Disable/Re-enable the Adapter

Sounds dumb, but I've seen this fix it about 1 in 10 times. The error 0X00000960 (NERR_InvalidLana) means Windows can't match your physical network adapter to its NetBIOS LANA number. Sometimes a flaky driver just needs a kick.

Open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings.
Right-click your active Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter, choose Disable.
Wait 10 seconds. Right-click again, Enable.
Reboot your machine. Yes, reboot. Don't skip it.

If the error is gone, you're done. If not, it's time to dig into the LANA mapping.

The 5-Minute Fix: Reset LANA Order in Registry

This is where the error lives. The LANA (LAN Adapter) numbers are stored in the Windows registry under a key that often gets corrupted after driver updates, VPN installations, or even Windows updates. I fixed this for a client last week who'd installed a Cisco VPN client — it added a virtual adapter and scrambled the order.

Press Win + R, type regedit, hit Enter.

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBIOS\Parameters

Look for a DWORD value named LanaOrder. It might not be there — that's fine, you'll create it.
Right-click in the right pane, New > Multi-String Value, name it LanaOrder.
Double-click it. You'll see a list of entries like 001,Ethernet or 002,Wi-Fi. The number after the comma is the LANA number for that adapter.
Each adapter must have a UNIQUE LANA number from 0 to 9. No duplicates, no gaps. If you see two adapters with the same number, change one. If you see a virtual adapter (like from VMware, VPN, or Hyper-V) that you don't need, remove its line entirely.
Click OK, close regedit, reboot.

Here's the kicker: if you don't have a LanaOrder value at all, Windows auto-assigns them — and that auto-assignment can break. Creating this value forces Windows to use your manual order. I do this as a standard fix for any LANA-related error.

The 15-Minute Fix: Delete and Recreate NetBIOS Binding

If the registry tweak didn't work, the binding between your adapter and NetBIOS is corrupt at a deeper level. This is less common but happens when you've uninstalled and reinstalled network drivers multiple times.

Open Network Connections (same as step 1 above).
Right-click your adapter, select Properties.
Scroll down to Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). Select it, click Properties.
Click Advanced, go to the WINS tab.
Under NetBIOS setting, select Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
Click OK all the way out. Reboot.
After reboot, go back to the same WINS tab, select Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP. Reboot again.

This forces Windows to rebuild the NetBIOS binding from scratch. I've seen this fix errors that persisted through three driver reinstalls. It's brute force, but it works.

When All Else Fails: Nuke the Network Stack

If you're still staring at error 0X00000960 after all that, your TCP/IP stack itself might be hosed. This is rare but happens after malware infections or botched Windows updates.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

Run these commands in order:

netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

Reboot.

This resets your IP stack, Winsock catalog, and DNS cache. It's the nuclear option — but after that, the LANA error should be history. I've only had to do this twice in 10 years, but both times it was the last thing standing.

Quick Prevention Tips

Always reboot after installing a VPN or virtual machine software. They mess with LANA order silently.
If you use multiple network adapters (like Wi-Fi and Ethernet), disable one you don't need in Network Connections. Two adapters active is asking for LANA conflicts.
Keep your network adapter drivers up to date — but don't update them unless you have a specific problem. Drivers from 2023 had a known LANA binding bug on Realtek cards.

That's it. Start with the 30-second check, work your way down. You'll probably be done in 5 minutes.