How to Change Your IP Address

Leave Obtain DNS server address automatically selected. Otherwise, your DNS server settings remain empty, which may cause other connection issues.

Why You Would Want to Change Your IP Address and How to Do It

You may not think about your computer’s IP address too often, but that doesn’t mean it is not an important part of your system. A computer or mobile device’s IP address is its primary identifier. Without an IP address, you cannot get on the Internet.

Whenever you connect to another device or website by going online, your IP address is used to identify your computer. It can be used to locate your machine and trace your online activities. As a matter of fact, your IP address is currently displayed at the top of this screen along with any other identifying information that can be derived from the address.

Anytime you go online, a record of where you have been is kept due to your IP address being logged at the site being accessed. There is no getting around this fact, though we will talk about some ways that you might get around this issue if you need or want to. Your IP address is a little like fingerprints except for one important aspect. Though with extreme techniques you may be able to modify your fingerprints, it’s a lot easier to change your IP address.

Why Would You Want to Change IP addresses on Your Computer?

There are a variety of reasons that you may want to change your IP address. Here are some common and more esoteric motivations for changing your computer’s IP address. Learning how to change IP address can be beneficial in all of these scenarios.

Analyze your Wi-Fi on Android

Inspect, compare, survey, and analyze WiFi networks with NetSpot. Optimize your WiFi network for maximum performance.

How to Change Your IP Address

We are going to talk about how to change your IP address using a few different methods. Basically, there are three main ways to change an IP address. They are:

• Manually Change IP Address
• Automatically Change IP Address
• Use a VPN or Proxy Server to Change IP Address

Let’s take a closer look at each method and discuss their pros and cons. There are also some differences in how you handle static versus dynamically assigned IP addresses. Obviously, the operating system that you are using will impact the way you go about this procedure.

Static addresses that are assigned by your ISP can only be changed by contacting your provider. This type of address is not usually given out without purchasing an increased level of service and is normally seen in a corporate or business setting. You will rarely have to deal with a static IP address on your home machine.

Changing WiFi settings?
Use NetSpot, an easy-to-use Wi-Fi analyzer, to see whether your change has had a positive effect.

Manually Change IP Address

You may need to change the IP address of a computer in an office or corporate setting in order to gain access to a private network. Depending on your platform, here are the steps you need to perform.

How to Change IP address on a Mac

1. Select System Preferences.
2. Choose Network.
3. Select an active network interface from the sidebar.
4. Note your current IP address so you can make an informed change.
5. Click the Advanced button.
6. Select TCP/IP.
7. Select Manually from the Configure IPv4 menu.
8. Enter a static IP address in the IPv4 Address field.
9. Click OK and then click Apply.

How to Change IP address on a Windows 10 Computer

1. Open Network and Sharing Center in Control Panel.
2. Click on the Connections link.
3. Click on the properties tab of the window that opens.
4. Select Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IP v4).
5. Choose Use the following IP address and fill in the IP address.
6. Select Use the following DNS server and enter the appropriate address.
7. Check the Validate settings upon exit box and click OK.
8. Your PC automatically runs network diagnostics and verifies your connection.

Other versions of Windows may require a different procedure to be used. We suggest you consult the User Guide for your specific OS.

Automatically Change IP Address

Here are a few ways to change the IP address on your home computer. This address is provided by your router, which is assigned the address by your ISP. Before trying any of these methods, make note of your current IP address so you can verify that it has indeed changed.

Turning off your router for about five minutes might be all you need to do. In some cases, a longer period of time is required, so you can try leaving the router turned off overnight. Even though your IP address is dynamically assigned by the provider, your ISP may have a long lease time on your address. This means it will appear to be static since you will not be able to change it until the time period enforced by the ISP has elapsed.

Taking your laptop to a location that offers free WiFi and connecting to the network will temporarily change your machine’s IP address as it is dynamically assigned when you log in. When you return home, your address will be assigned based on your home router.

Use a VPN or Proxy Server to Change IP Address

The methods described above may be necessary and sufficient when changing your IP address for configuration purposes. If your goal is to defeat geo-blocking initiatives or simply to maintain your online privacy, then other tactics must be employed. This is where a proxy server or a VPN can be extremely useful.

Essentially, when you use a proxy or VPN you are masking the IP address of your machine. When you are connected to a proxy server, its IP address is what is seen on the Internet, not your machine’s IP address. This eliminates the ability of anyone to track you once you are on the proxy server.

A VPN service works in a similar way but offers more options than directly connecting to a proxy server. VPN services have servers located in multiple locations throughout the world. After you connect to the VPN server, your private IP address is masked and any further online activities will only display the VPN server’s address.

Quality VPN services have servers located in many countries, and by choosing an appropriate one, you can get around just about any restrictions enforced by your local authorities or your ISP.

There are many VPNs available. Some are free, but if you are serious about maintaining online privacy, you should spend the few dollars a month that it will cost for a paid VPN service. The quality paid VPNs that you can choose from include NordVPN , ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost.

There you have it. You should be able to change your IP address if you need to and by using a proxy or VPN you can change it when you want to hide your identity. If you value your online privacy, a VPN is highly recommended.

How to Change Your IP Address

An MIT graduate who brings years of technical experience to articles on SEO, computers, and wireless networking.

Updated on April 4, 2022
Reviewed by

Chris Selph is a CompTIA-certified technology and vocational IT teacher. He also serves as network & server administrator and performs computer maintenance and repair for numerous clients.

• ISP
• The Wireless Connection
• Routers & Firewalls
• Network Hubs
• Broadband
• Ethernet
• Installing & Upgrading
• Wi-Fi & Wireless

What to Know

• Windows: Control Panel >Network and Sharing Center >Change adapter settings and follow the instructions below.
• Mac: System Preferences >Network. Select a network >Advanced. Go to the TCP/IP tab and select Manually. Enter info.
• iOS: Open Settings >Wi-Fi, tap the circledi next to the network, select Configure IP >Manual. Set up the new IP.

This article explains how to change your IP address manually by switching from the router’s assigned DHCP address to a static one on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. It also covers how to change your router’s public IP address, which appears as the public IP address of every device on the network unless you use a VPN.

You can also get a new IP by releasing and renewing your IP.

Change a Windows Computer’s IP Address

If your Windows computer has the IP address set up as a static one, change the IP address as follows:

1. Open Control Panel and select Network and Sharing Center. If you don’t see it, first select Network and Internet.

Choose Change adapter settings.

Select Properties.

Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).

Either alter the IP address or select Obtain an IP address automatically to have the router control the IP address.

Leave Obtain DNS server address automatically selected. Otherwise, your DNS server settings remain empty, which may cause other connection issues.

Change a Mac Computer’s IP Address

Here’s how to change the IP address on a Mac.

1. Open the System Preferences app on the Mac and select Network.

Select your Wi-Fi network in the left panel and click Advanced.

Select the TCP/IP tab.

Select Manually in the drop-down menu next to Configure IPv6 (or iPv4) and enter the information for the new IP.

Change a Phone’s IP Address on iPhone

You can also change the IP address on a mobile device such as the Apple iPhone as follows:

Choose Manual. Enter the network details manually, such as your IP address and DNS information.

The choice of a specific local IP address does not affect the network performance in any meaningful way.

Change a Phone’s IP Address on Android

It’s also possible to change an Android device’s IP to a static IP on your network.

Android phones can vary depending on the manufacturer of the device. Some manufacturers alter the Android OS to meet their specifications, which means the steps you need to follow may differ slightly from those listed here. These steps should apply to most Android devices.

Change a Router’s IP Address

To change the router’s IP address, log in to the router as an administrator. From the control panel, change the IP address to whatever you like. However, this IP address is usually changed when there’s a problem with it. The default IP address should suffice for most situations.

How to Change Your Public IP Address

An external public IP address is the address used to communicate with networks outside of your own, such as those on the internet. Use a VPN to mask or hide your real IP address. You can also use a web proxy to mask your public IP.

How to Change Your IP Address

Why Change Your IP Address?

Some ISPs assign static IP addresses to their subscribers. Home users are commonly configured with a dynamic IP address. Either way, you may be able to contact your ISP to request a new static IP or a dynamic IP change. You can’t change your external internet IP address on your own.

Some people change their public external IP address to avoid online bans or bypass country location restrictions that some sites impose on video content.

Changing the IP address of a client computer, phone, or router is useful when:

• An invalid address is accidentally configured, such as a static IP address in the wrong numeric range.
• A malfunctioning router provides bad addresses, such as an address used by another computer on the network.
• Installing a new router and reconfiguring a home network to use its default IP address range.

Is changing an IP address dangerous or illegal?

No. There are many reasons someone may want to change their IP address. However, if you’re on a work setup or have a home network running, messing with IP addresses can sometimes cause headaches, so make sure you know what you’re doing.

Does resetting your router change your IP address?

It’s possible but not probable. If you’re power-cycling your router, the address likely won’t change. Still, if you reset your router to factory defaults, it’s more likely the device will assign new addresses.

Can you change your IP address location?

Yes, you can. However, you need third-party software. A VPN, or virtual private network, gives you unique IP addresses in places anywhere on earth.