When you connect to a local network, the device you are using is assigned an IP address, which allows other devices to find and communicate with it, and also means that the device itself is authenticated. The larger the network, the more IP addresses will be used, which can cause some allocation problems.
In most cases, the assignment of the IP address is determined by your local router, so in order to change the IP address on a Windows 10 PC, you need to configure the network as a whole. Alternatively, you can set a static IP or change your public IP for all of your devices. Here’s what you need to do to change your IP address.
Why did you change your IP address on Windows?
There are several reasons why you might want to change your IP address.
Typically, a LAN router assigns a temporary IP address to your device when you connect using DHCP (the protocol used to assign IP addresses), giving it a temporary lease for that address. When the lease expires, it will need to be renewed, otherwise you may be assigned a new address.
While this usually happens automatically, sometimes problems can arise. A poorly configured or congested local network, as well as improperly configured devices, can cause the same IP address to be assigned twice, leading to conflicts.
If this happens, you can set a static IP address by assigning a permanent address to your device. You will want to do this for devices that are regularly accessed by other devices, such as home servers or network storage devices.
– /
All of this applies to local area networks, but you can change the IP address provided to you by your ISP. This can be tricky, but there are several ways to change this address if allowed by your ISP.
Configure DHCP Settings for the Network Router
One of the easiest ways to change your IP address is to configure your network router to assign a new IP address. To do this, you need to configure DHCP options on your router to assign IP addresses differently.
You can, for example, set static allocation for your Windows PC. When your device connects, your router will always assign it the same IP address, using your device’s MAC address to identify it.
If you don’t want to do this, you can also change the IP range used by your local router. This means that your local IP address may change from time to time, but the range of addresses will be different. For example, your IP address might change from 192.168.0.10 to 192.168.10.10.
To do this, you need to go to the administration page of your router. It depends on the device, but usually many local routers can be accessed by typing http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1 in your web browser. Refer to your user manual for the correct username and password to use here.
The steps for changing DHCP settings will also vary, but usually DHCP settings are listed in a separate section (eg DHCP), and fixed IP addresses can be found under Address Assignment or similar.
Edit DHCP Lease and Reset your dynamic IP
Any changes you make to your router’s DHCP settings may require you to release or renew the Windows IP address using Windows PowerShell.
- To do this, in Windows PowerShell, right-click the Start menu and click the Windows PowerShell (Administrator) option.
- In a PowerShell terminal window, enter ipconfig / release to release the DHCP lease and disconnect. With the new settings set, enter ipconfig / Renew to reconnect.
If your router’s settings have been changed correctly, releasing the DHCP lease and resetting your IP address will cause your device to be assigned a new IP address.
Setting a Static IP Address in Windows 10
A static IP address can be obtained using a fixed DHCP assignment, but you can also set this manually in Windows 10 settings. You can do this if you are connecting directly to another device.
This may also work with your local router, but since your device is already assigned an IP address via DHCP, an IP address conflict may occur. In this case, it is better to use a fixed IP address allocation for this.
- To set a static IP address, open network settings by right-clicking the Start menu and choosing Network Connections. option.
- In the Network Connection Settings menu, click the Change Connection Properties option.
- In the IP Settings category, click the Edit button.
- Change the type of IP address allocation to Manual. Enable IPv4 or IPv6, then enter the static IP settings you want to apply. An example configuration for a static IP IPv4 would include 192.168.0.10 for the IP address, 24 for the subnet prefix length, and 192.168.0.1 for the gateway (related to your local router) and preferred DNS server. When finished, click “Save”.
After saving, your IP address settings will be applied automatically. You may need to release your existing IP address by following the steps above, or restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Change your public IP address in Windows 10
Your public IP address is the address assigned by your ISP that gives you access to the Internet. It is assigned to your modem (which is usually paired with your network router, but not always), which allows all other connected network devices to access the Internet as well.
Sometimes it is difficult to change this address. First you will need to check if you have been assigned a dynamic (temporary) or static IP address. If you are assigned a static public IP address, your ISP will have to change it for you.
For dynamic IPs, you can usually reset this by turning off your network modem for a while. By doing this, you disconnect your device from the provider.
As with your local network, your public IP address lease will eventually expire, which means that at this point you might be assigned a new IP address. However, this will not necessarily work and you may need to try a different method.
If your public IP does not change, you can try other methods. Using a VPN will hide your public IP address, for example, when browsing the web.
Configure your network on Windows 10
Whether you’re setting up a server for your network (or for a wider range of Internet users), or you just want to free up allocation for other devices, changing your IP address in Windows 10 isn’t difficult, although most of the work depends on being able to access router to properly configure the network.
If your network configuration is causing problems, you can reset your network router to clear your tablet and start over. IP allocation issues can be the reason you are struggling with network connectivity issues, but luckily there are several ways to fix unrecognized network problems in Windows 10.
–