How to Change Your IP Address (Windows)

Written by Stan Kats | Edited by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: March 13, 2020 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to change both your public IP address and your private IP address on a Windows computer. Your public IP address is the address that your computer broadcasts to other networks, while your private IP address is your computer's specific address within your own wireless network. Changing either of these may fix connection issues.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Public IP

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1
Unplug your router and modem. Most service providers assign dynamic IPs, which change from time to time. By disconnecting your modem for a long period of time, you are likely to get a new address assigned to you when you turn it back on.
- You may want to check your current IP address before doing this.
- Simply unplugging the router and modem from the wall will work.
2
Disable your computer's Wi-Fi. This will prevent it from reconnecting to the router when you plug it back in. To disable Wi-Fi:
- Click
  in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
- Click Wi-Fi in the pop-up window.
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Some ISPs will assign a new IP address in as little as five minutes; if doing this doesn't work, however, you may need to leave your router unplugged overnight (or for around eight hours).
As long as you have a different device (e.g., a phone, a gaming console, or another computer) connected to Wi-Fi, the router and the second device will claim the old IP address.
5
Re-enable Wi-Fi on your computer. Doing so after the other devices have had a chance to establish their connections will most likely change your computer's public IP address.
- You may want to check your IP address again to make sure it has changed.
In some rare cases, you may have a static IP address assigned by your internet service provider. In order to get this changed, you will need to contact their technical support directly. Oftentimes, this can only be changed once.^{[1]
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Use a proxy network. This will display a different IP address for your connection; often, it will be an address from a different part of the country or world. Reliable proxies and VPNs often require monthly subscriptions.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Private IP

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Renewing the Address

Open Start
. It's in the bottom-left corner of the screen. If you're trying to change your IP address in order to fix a connection issue, renewing it is an easier process than manually changing the address.
This will search your computer for the Command Prompt app.
Right-click
Command Prompt. It should be at the top of the Start window.
4
Click Run as administrator. This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- If you aren't an administrator on your current computer, you won't have this option and thus won't be able to renew your computer's IP address.
Doing so opens Command Prompt.
This command "forgets" your current IP address.
This refreshes your IP address. Doing this in and of itself will likely solve some connection issues, though it won't always change your computer's actual IP address.

Changing the Address

Open the Settings app. Click the Start
button and select the Settings
gear.
This is the first tab on the left pane.
Scroll down to access this section.
Click the dropdown menu from the dialog that appears and choose the "Manual" option.
Toggle on
IPv4. Several text boxes will appear.
8
Fill in the text boxes. Here's what they mean:
- IP address - Usually, your device's IP address will be "192.168.1.X" (or a similar set of numbers), wherein "X" is specific to your device. Change the "X" value to a number between 1 and 100. Make sure you don't use the same IP address as another device on your network (e.g., your phone).
- Subnet prefix length - This depends on your IP address, but will usually be "255.255.255.X".
- Gateway - This is your router's IP address.
- Preferred DNS - Your preferred DNS address (for example: "208.67.222.222" for the OpenDNS server, or "8.8.8.8" for Google's server).
- Alternate DNS - A secondary DNS address (for example: "208.67.220.220" for the OpenDNS server, or "8.8.4.4" for Google's server).
Your new network settings will be saved and applied.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I assign a static IP address to my computer?

Stan Kats
Cybersecurity Expert
Stan Kats is the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology & cybersecurity solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan has over 7 years of cybersecurity experience, holding senior positions in information security at General Motors, AIG, and Aramark over his career. Stan received a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California.

Stan Kats

Cybersecurity Expert

Expert Answer

You'll find this ability in the Settings in Windows. Go to your TCP IP Settings, look for ipv4 and specify the static address that you need. For Mac OS, it's the same process but you'll find it under System Preferences under Networking.

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How do I find a router's IP address?

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Community Answer

You can use the command prompt (go to start, cmd, enter). Once there, type "ipconfig"; it should show a bunch of stuff. Look for the one that says "default gateway."

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Question

How do I turn on internet protocols?

Community Answer

You have to use the MD5# protocol in CMD. That should work if you type that into command prompt.

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Tips

You'd change your public IP address in the event that you were kicked out of a gaming service (e.g., Steam), while you'd change your private IP address to fix website loading errors.

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Using a proxy server will not change your IP address in the traditional sense, but it will alter the IP address that others can see.

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You can also use a browser like Tor to hide your IP address, though such browsers can be dangerous and are often slower than average.

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Warnings

If you choose an in-use IP address for your computer when changing its private IP address, the device that is currently using that address will get kicked off of the network.

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