how to change ip address of laptop in windows 7

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How to Change Your IP Address (Windows)

Last Updated: March 13, 2020 Tested

This article was written by Stan Kats and by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd . 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. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 2,530,867 times.

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.

• You may want to check your current IP address before doing this.
• Simply unplugging the router and modem from the wall will work.

• Click Wi-Fi in the pop-up window.

• You may want to check your IP address again to make sure it has changed.

Renewing the Address

• 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.

Changing the Address

• 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).

Expert Q&A

• 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. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• 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. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• 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. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• 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. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.whatismyip.com/ip-faq/how-to-change-your-ip-address/

About This Article

1. Unplug your router and modem. 2. Disable your Wi-Fi. 3. Wait 5 minutes. 4. Plug the router and modem back in. 5. Re-enable Wi-Fi. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How do I change my IP Address on my computer? [duplicate]

My laptop is running Windows 7 and I connect my Wifi to my house. How do I change my computer's IP address without having to reset my internet router?

• superuser.com/a/312803/179299 –  Lorenzo Von Matterhorn Nov 23, 2013 at 21:58
• Why do you want to change it? What is the problem? –  Roland Smith Nov 23, 2013 at 22:05
• @RolandSmith This is for gaming reasons. Do you know how to change it though? –  puretppc Nov 23, 2013 at 22:08
• ipconfig /release and then ipconfig /renew in Command Prompt , but it depends on the Lease Time of your DHCP server in the router, you could get the same IP back. –  Alex Nov 23, 2013 at 22:11
• 2 @Tony Likely because that changed the router's WAN IP address. People outside your LAN cannot see into it. Changing your LAN IP addresses won't change anything visible from outside your LAN. (This is a classic XY problem . You asked how to do something you thought would solve your problem rather than telling us what your problem actually is and asking how to solve it.) –  David Schwartz Nov 23, 2013 at 22:46

Assuming you are using DHCP, your computer will be assigned an IP address from a pool of addresses. Generally, if you request a new address before the lease time is up, you will get the same address back.

So you will have to login to your router (most of them have a web interface, look at the manual) and change the IP that is assigned to your computer's. The most common way to do that is to assign your computer a specific IP address based on the MAC address of its network card.

The details of how to do this are specific to the router you have.

Most routers do network address translation ("NAT"), specifically one-to-many NAT. The machines on the internal network usually have 192.168.xxx.yyy addresses. But from the outside it looks like all the traffic is comming from one IP address (not in 192.168/16, because that range cannot be routed on the internet).

So it is not possible to directly expose your computer to the outside world (which in general is a good thing!).

But if you know which port (s) your gaming service/program uses, you might try to use port forwarding , so that every packet for the gaming port that arrives at the external interface of the router is sent to your PC. You can then point the other gamers to use the externally visible IP address on your router.

The only downside is that in this scenario it is difficult to have more than one gaming "server" on your internal network exposed to the internet. But virtual hosting combined with port forwarding could do the trick.

You should read the documentation that comes with your game thoroughly. Most home PC's are behind routers these days. So the games should know how to cope with that.

• Now that we know what his problem actually is , we know this won't solve it. –  David Schwartz Nov 23, 2013 at 22:48
• @DavidSchwartz: We (or at least I :-) still don't know exactly what the problem is. But I suspect it has something to do with using the laptop as a kind of server for a game, so having it reachable from the internet. So I added a piece about port forwarding. But I guess that the real answer to Tony's question can be found in the game's documentation, given that home routers a ubiquitous. –  Roland Smith Nov 24, 2013 at 0:08
• 1 Or he can look it up on Portforward.com . It has the biggest colection of routers with specific instruction how to forward ports for 100's of games on those routers (with images). –  Rik Nov 24, 2013 at 0:36
• @Rik That's probably the best answer to the question that wasn't asked but should have been. :-) –  Roland Smith Nov 24, 2013 at 10:53

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged windows-7 ip-address .

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How to View & Change Your IP Address in Windows 7, 8, and 10

You can use your computer without even knowing your own IP address, but would you like to know how to check? Here's how to quickly check or change your IP address in Windows.

Modern technologies mean that it's easy to get your devices online and not give a second thought to what your IP address is, but maybe you want to go further. If you're troubleshooting an IP conflict issue , setting up several devices on a network, or are just plain curious, it's good to know how to view your IP address and change it if needed.

In Windows, you can easily view your IP address by typing cmd into the Start Menu to open a command prompt, then typing ipconfig . This will bring up configuration info for all network adapters on your machine (such as Ethernet and wireless), letting you view the IP address and more for each one.

On a network, you can release this IP address and get a new one by typing ipconfig /release , followed by ipconfig /renew .

If you'd like to set a static IP instead being assigned one each time you connect, open the Start Menu and type Network and Sharing Center to launch this menu. Where you see Connections , click the blue text next to that (probably Wi-Fi ).

Click Properties on the window that results and finally double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 . Here you can manually punch in an IP address that this device will always use, even after a reboot. Make sure you check the box to Validate settings upon exit so that if you put in a bad address, it lets you know right away.

You probably don't need to set a static IP for your own basic use, but it's a useful bit of knowledge if you ever need it!

Looking for more IP address fun? Check out how to trace an IP address to its originating PC .

Image Credit: Rob Bouwman via Shutterstock.com

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How to Change Your IP Address

If you need to spoof your IP address, there are a few ways to do it

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• The Wireless Connection
• Routers & Firewalls
• Network Hubs
• 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 circled i 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:

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

Choose Change adapter settings .

Double-click the connection that you want to change the IP address on. For example, to change the wireless adapter's IP address, double-click the one that mentions Wi-Fi.

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.

If you leave the setting to obtain an IP address automatically, the router automatically assigns an IP address to the computer. However, when you enter the IP address information, the computer's IP address stays static.

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.

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:

Open the  Settings  app and select Wi-Fi .

Tap the small ( i ) next to the network and select Configure IP .

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.

Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi .

Tap the network that you want to change the IP address for.

Select Forget .

Tap the network from the list of available Wi-Fi networks.

Select Advanced options .

Choose Static .

Scroll down and fill out the IP address fields.

Enter the Wi-Fi password at the top of the screen.

Select Connect .

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

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• How to Change the IP Address on Your Android
• What Is a Private IP Address?
• How to Find the IP Address on a Mac
• What Is a Public IP Address? (and How to Find Yours)
• “Failed to Obtain IP Address”: How to Fix an IP Configuration Failure on Android
• How to Change the IP Address on Your iPhone
• What Is a Static IP Address?
• How to Change DNS Servers in Windows

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How-To Geek

How to change your ip address from the command prompt in windows.

It's easy enough to change an IP address on your PC using Control Panel, but did you know you can also do it from the Command Prompt?

Quick Links

Launch command prompt as admin to use netsh, view your network information with command prompt, change your ip address, subnet mask, and default gateway, change your dns settings in command prompt, key takeaways.

• You must launch Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Terminal as admin to use netsh.
• Use the "netsh interface ipv4 show config" command to find the full name of the network interface you want to change.
• Modify your IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway using the command "netsh interface ipv4 set address". You can also change DNS settings using "netsh interface ipv4 set dns".

Changing your IP address with the Control Panel interface isn't difficult, but it does require clicking through a number of different windows and dialog boxes. If you're a fan of the Command Prompt, though, you can get it done more quickly using the netsh command, which is just one of the great network utilities built into Windows .

We're going to use the netsh command, but it requires that Command Prompt be launched as administrator to work. The netsh command allows you to configure just about any aspect of your network connections in Windows.

To launch Command Prompt (or PowerShell) as Admin, open up the Start Menu, search "cmd," hover over the result, then click "Run as Administrator."

In Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can also right-click the Start menu (or press Windows+X on your keyboard) to open the Power User Menu and choose "PowerShell (Admin)."

You can (and should ) use PowerShell for this instead.

Before you change your IP address and related information, you'll need to find the full name of the network for the interface you want to change. To do this, type the following command:

netsh interface ipv4 show config

Scroll down until you see the interface you're looking for. In our example, we're going to modify the Wi-Fi interface, which on our machine is just named "Wi-Fi." You'll also see other default names that Windows assigns to interfaces, such as "Local Area Connection," "Local Area Connection* 2," and "Ethernet." Just find the one you're looking for and make note of the exact name. You can also copy and paste the name to Notepad and then back into Command Prompt later to make things easier.

With the interface name in hand, you're ready to change the IP Address, subnet mask, and gateway. To do this, you'll issue a command using the following syntax:

netsh interface ipv4 set address name="YOUR INTERFACE NAME" static IP_ADDRESS SUBNET_MASK GATEWAY

So, for example, your command might look something like the following:

netsh interface ipv4 set address name="Wi-Fi" static 192.168.3.8 255.255.255.0 192.168.3.1

Where the info is replaced by whatever you want to use. In our example, the command does the following:

• Uses the interface name "Wi-Fi"
• Sets the IP address to 192.168.3.1
• Sets the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0
• Sets the default gateway to 192.168.3.1

And if you're using a static IP address but want to switch to using an IP address assigned automatically by a DHCP server — such as your router — you can use the following command instead:

netsh interface ipv4 set address name="YOUR INTERFACE NAME" source=dhcp

You can also use the netsh command to change the DNS servers used by a network interface. Third-party DNS servers — like Google Public DNS and OpenDNS —can be faster and more reliable than the DNS servers provided by your ISP. Whatever your reason for changing your DNS server , you can do it either at the router so it affects all the devices that get their information from the router or at the individual device. If you want to change the DNS servers for just one PC, it's easy to do with the netsh command.

You'll need to use the command twice: once to set your primary DNS server and once to set your secondary, or backup, DNS server. To set your primary DNS server, use the following syntax:

netsh interface ipv4 set dns name="YOUR INTERFACE NAME" static DNS_SERVER

So, for example, your command might look something like the following (in which we set it to Google's primary public DNS server, 8.8.8.8):

netsh interface ipv4 set dns name="Wi-Fi" static 8.8.8.8

To set your secondary DNS server, you'll use a very similar command:

netsh interface ipv4 set dns name="YOUR INTERFACE NAME" static DNS_SERVER index=2

So, continuing our example, you might set your secondary DNS as the Google Public DNS secondary server, which is 8.8.4.4:

netsh interface ipv4 set dns name="Wi-Fi" static 8.8.4.4 index=2

And just like with the IP address, you can also change it so that the network interface grabs its DNS settings automatically from a DHCP server instead. Just use the following command:

netsh interface ipv4 set dnsservers name"YOUR INTERFACE NAME" source=dhcp

And there you have it. Whether you like typing at the command prompt better or just want to impress your coworkers, now you know all the command line magic you need for changing your IP address settings.

Find your IP address in Windows

For wi-fi connection.

Select Start >  Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi and then select the Wi-Fi network you're connected to.

Under Properties , look for your IP address listed next to IPv4 address .

Open Wi-Fi setting

For Ethernet connection

Select  Start  > Settings > Network & internet >  Ethernet .

Under Properties , look for your IP address listed next to IPv4 address .

On the taskbar, select Wi-Fi network  > the Wi-Fi network you're connected to > Properties .

On the taskbar, select the Ethernet network icon > the Ethernet network connection.

Under Ethernet, select the Ethernet network connection.

Under Properties, look for your IP address listed next to IPv4 address.

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How to change (Dynamic) IP address in Windows 7 or Vista?

Had same issue on Vista, upgraded to Win7 and issue remains. I have a Dynamic ISP IP address, yet it remains as if it were static, everything that use to work in XP and previous versions of Windows no longer works in Vista or 7. I spoke to my ISP (3 times, 3 different techs), they said my IP is dynamic and confirmed it is not set by them as static. They charge more for a static IP, so would not just be giving me this "upgrade" for free. They had "no idea" how to force/change a new IP address in Vista or 7. PLEASE! Do not bother suggesting to run ipconfig /flushdns, /release, /renew at a prompt to do this like every internet search suggests, THIS DOES NOT WORK. This was done with cmd prompt opened under "Run As Administrator". PLEASE! Read everything I have already done here before suggesting something I've already tried or have tested and proven to work/not work. Here are other things I have tried, THAT ALSO DO NOT WORK: (NOTE: no router is being used, direct connected, CAT5, PC NIC to broadband modem) -Left modem unplugged 72 hours. No change -Had ISP send me a new modem. No change -Uninstalled Network adapter. No change -Changed IP4 settings from "Obtain Auto" to a made up forced IP, rebooted, then changed back to auto. No change So, with all of this "old school" stuff already tried and failed, what have they changed in Vista and 7 that seems to keep even Dynamic IP's as static? Where is Windows caching or storing this information so I can clear it, none of the traditional methods work. I absolutely can not stand having a static IP on my home computer. If you internet search this exact question you'll find what I have, everyone is suggesting the once working methods I've already tried above, yet people using Vista or 7 are repeatedly finding this no longer works. Here's some more information, that confirms the IP isn't being stored in my modem, or assigned to the MAC address of my NIC... If I boot this same PC to a LINUX Live type CD, using the same MAC address and NIC it obtains a different IP address everytime it reboots. The issue clearly has nothing to do with my ISP, modem, or PC in general. If I hot swap my modem to a different PC, the other PC gets a fresh (different) IP address. If this other PC is using XP I can force the ipconfig /release /renew to change its IP address. If the different PC is running Vista, the IP remains static no matter what I try unless the hard drive is wiped and Vista is reinstalled, then it obtains a new IP on the PC with the clean install, yet it can not be changed after this happens. So clearly, Windows Vista and Windows 7 are holding onto IP configuration information somewhere and reusing this information when it detects you are using the same internet provider, WHERE is it being stored so I can clear it? Thank you so much if you have a working solution and actually know the answer, instead of just reading what can already be found by a search engine and reposting info that is no longer valid like everyone else on the internet is currently doing when trying to answer this question.

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Set ip address on windows 7, windows 8.x or windows 10.

• Click Start menu
• Type Network and Sharing Center in search field
• Click Local Area Connection
• Click Properties on new window
• Click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) on new window
• Click Properties
• Click Use the following IP address  radio button
• Enter IP address within same range as reader in IP address field (i.e., if the reader's IP address is 10.19.1.101, the computer IP should be in the 10.19.1.x range, where x is any number other than 101)
• Note : Example configuration

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Home › Privacy basics › How to change your IP address on Windows

How to change your IP address on Windows

Posted on November 16th, 2023 by Douglas Crawford in Privacy basics .

This artcile was updated and refreshed November 2023 .

We discuss how to change the IP address of your Windows 10 or Windows 11 device. This doesn’t change your IP address on the internet, although we’ll look at that as well. 

Changing your IP address on Windows

How to change your external ip address on windows, how to hide your external ip on windows using proton vpn, change your windows ip address using a vpn router, how to change your local ip address on windows, why change your local ip address on windows.

• Local IPv4 vs. IPv6 addresses
• How to change your IP address on Windows 10
• How to change your IP address on Windows 11

Frequently asked questions

An IP address uniquely identifies every device connected directly to a network. Networks can be large or small. Large networks are known as wide area networks (WANs), the most notable example being the internet. 

Local area networks (LANs) are small networks that connect devices within a limited area, such as a home, office, or school. Devices connected to a local area network usually connect to the internet via a router and modem. 

Learn more about IP addresses

In this article, we look both at how to change your Windows device’s external IP address that websites, P2P peers, and apps see and also how to change its local IP address that other devices on your local area network use to identify it. 

Your external IP address is the IP address you use to connect to the internet. It’s the IP address that anyone on the internet sees, including websites, P2P peers, and the backend servers that your apps connect to. Your external IP address is assigned to you by your internet service provider (ISP).

Most Windows devices connect indirectly to the internet via a WiFi or wired Ethernet connection to a router. The router then connects to a modem (these two are often combined into the same device), which connects to the internet.

In this scenario, your Windows PC’s external IP address that anyone on the internet can see is actually your router’sIP address. All devices that connect to the internet via that router will share the same external IP address (unless you somehow hide your IP address).  

There are several ways to hide your Windows device’s IP address when using the internet, including:

• Tor browser
• Proxy servers
• A virtual private network (VPN)

All of these methods route your internet connection to another computer so that you appear to access the internet from that computer’s IP address (in the case of Tor, your connection is routed through a series of “nodes”, so you appear to access the internet from the last “exit node” in the chain). This is known as proxying your connection. 

Of these ways to proxy your connection, the most effective, useful, and convenient method is to use a commercial VPN service such as Proton VPN . We are a 100% free VPN service with no logs , no data restrictions , and no artificial speed limits . 

We offer this free service because we believe privacy is a fundamental human right that should be available to everyone. If you want to support our mission and access a range of premium features, such as NetShield Ad-blocker , more than 3,000 servers in more than 65 countries, the ability to stream content from around the world, and more , you can sign up for a premium plan .

1 Sign up for a free Proton VPN account .

2. Download the Proton VPN Windows app

3. Open Windows Explorer , go to your Downloads folder, and double-click the ProtonVPN_win_vxxx.exe installation file you just downloaded.

• If a new window pops up asking Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device? , click Yes.
• If installing for the first time, the OpenVPN TAP adapter installation windows will appear. Click Next . 
• The Windows .NET framework might also be required. If prompted, follow the instructions to install Windows .NET as well.

4. Select your preferred setup language, click Next , and follow the wizard to install the app onto your Windows system. 

5. Open the app and sign in using your Proton Account login details. 

6. Click Quick Connect to let the app pick the best server for your location. 

Alternatively, you can manually choose a country or server to connect to. If you are on our Free plan, you can connect to servers in Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States. If you are on one of our premium plans, you can connect to one of over 1700 servers in over 60 countries. 

Your real IP address is now hidden so that it cannot be seen by websites, P2P peers, or other observers on the internet. 

Learn more about VPNs

To make sure your IP address changed, visit a website such as ip.me with and without the VPN connection. 

Another way to change the external IP address of your Windows PC is to connect it to a VPN router. This is a router configured to route all devices connected to the internet through it (including Windows devices) through a VPN service such as Proton VPN.

Learn how to configure Proton VPN on your router

Your local IP address is the IP address that your Windows device uses on your local area network (LAN). Your router uses it to send incoming data to the correct device, and other devices on the same local network can see your device’s local IP address. 

A common type of LAN is the home network, where all your household’s laptops, smartphones, tablets, smart devices, games consoles, smart TVs, and other internet-capable devices connect to the internet via a router and modem supplied by your internet service provider (ISP). 

Devices connected to a LAN do not connect directly to the internet, so no one on the internet can see their IP addresses. They see your modem’s IP address (unless it’s proxied — see above).

Below, we look at how to change your local IP address on Windows 10 and Windows 11. This changes your devices’ IP address on your LAN but doesn’t affect the IP address seen on the internet because that’s your modem’s IP address. 

By default, most routers dynamically assign IP addresses to devices on a local network using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) . 

This means the IP address to your Windows PC may change depending on your network configuration (for example, when you take your Windows laptop out of the house and then return with it).

If other devices on your network access your Windows PC via its IP address, it’s a good idea to configure a static IP for it that your router will not change. For example, this would be useful if you use your Windows device as a media or LAN games server.

Local IPv4 vs IPv6 addresses

Windows 10, Windows 11, and most modern routers can use IPv6. Globally, Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) addresses are running out. To solve this problem, the much longer Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address system is being rolled out, which vastly increases the number of addresses available.

However, the local IP addresses issued by your router are for private use only and are not affected by the IPv4 global shortage. So while it is possible to configure your Windows device to use an IPv6 address, there’s little point in doing so. 

Learn more about IPv4 vs. IPv6

How to change your local IP address on Windows 10

1. Go to Start → Settings

2. Select Network & Internet  

3. Select your internet connection ( WiFi or Ethernet ) and click on Properties .

4. Go to IP settings → IP assignment → Edit .

5. Click Automatic (DHCP) and select Manual from the dropdown menu.

6. Toggle the IPv4 switch on . 

7. Fill in the IP settings.

• IP address — This can be any numeric value in the 192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255 IP address range.
• Subnet prefix length — 24
• Gateway — Enter the IP address of the router or modem your PC is connected to. This is usually either 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1
• Preferred DNS — Enter the IP address of a DNS server or DNS service (for example, 9.9.9.9 for Quad9).

Click Save when you’re done. 

8. You’ve successfully changed your IP address.

How to change your local IP address on Windows 11

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Go to Network & internet and select your network interface ( Ethernet or WiFi ).

3. If you have an Ethernet connection, click on IP assignment → Edit .

If you have a WiFi connection, click Hardware properties …

Followed by IP assignmen t → Edit .

4. Click Automatic (DHCP) and select Manual from the dropdown menu.

5. Toggle the IPv4 switch On . 

6. Fill in the IP settings.

• IP address — This can be any numeric value in the 1 92.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255 IP address range.
• Subnet mask — If you know your subnet mask address, enter it. If not, enter 255.255.255.0 .
• Gateway — Enter the IP address of the router or modem your PC is connected to. This is usually either 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 .
• Preferred DNS — Enter the IP address of a DNS server or DNS service (for example, 9.9.9.9)
• Preferred DNS encryption — Choose the level of DNS encryption you prefer (if DNS server supports it).

7. You’ve successfully changed your IP address.

Troubleshooting

If you can no longer connect to the internet after making these changes, there are two possible reasons:

1. Two or more devices on your network have the same IP address

Check the IP addresses of all devices on your network and manually change any that have the same IP address using the instructions above.

2. Incorrect subnet mask

To find the name of your network’s subnet mask, Open the Command Prompt ap or Windows PowerShell app and enter the following command:

Look for the Subnet Mask entry under your Ethernet or Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi connection.

To change the external IP address of your laptop or PC that anyone on the internet sees, you’ll need to use an external service such as Tor or Proton VPN.  Learn more about what a VPN is Proton VPN offers apps for Windows , macOS , Linux , and Chrome OS (via our Android app ). If you’re not sure what operating system (the software that underpins how all your apps can run and work together and allows you to interact with your apps) you’re using, then it’s most likely Windows.  This guide also shows you how to change the local IP address on Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs and laptops. This only changes the IP address of your computer on your local network. 

When configuring the IP address on most devices (including Windows 11 devices), you’ll be asked to enter the subnet mask (which in most cases will be 255.255.255.0). On Windows 10, however, you’ll be asked to enter the subnet prefix length instead. A subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 translates into a subnet prefix length of 24 bits, so in most cases, you should enter 24. If your subnet mask is not 255.255.255.0, you can use a subnet calculator to determine the correct subnet prefix length for your subnet mask.

Douglas Crawford

Starting with ProPrivacy and now Proton, Douglas has worked for many years as a technology writer. During this time, he has established himself as a thought leader specializing in online privacy. He has been quoted by the BBC News, national newspapers such as The Independent, The Telegraph, and The Daily Mail, and by international technology publications such as Ars Technica, CNET, and LinuxInsider. Douglas was invited by the EFF to help host a livestream session in support of net neutrality. At Proton, Douglas continues to explore his passion for privacy and all things VPN.

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How to Change NAT Type on Windows 11/10

Posted: November 16, 2023 | Last updated: November 16, 2023

• Changing the NAT type from strict to open can improve network connectivity and reduce network-related issues when playing multiplayer games online.
• You can change your NAT type on Windows by enabling Discovery Mode, UPnP, or port forwarding.
• Port forwarding provides greater control over open ports and enhances security compared to UPnP, but it requires knowing the specific TCP and UDP ports used by your game.

You may want to change your NAT type from strict to open when playing multiplayer games online. A strict or moderate NAT type may cause network problems when joining a game party, like abrupt disconnections, lags, and making it difficult to host matches.

You can change the NAT type on Windows to ease restrictions, resulting in a faster and more reliable network connection. But you must balance your needs with potential security risks when changing the NAT.

What Is NAT, and What Are the NAT Types?

Network Address Translation (NAT) is a feature in routers (and firewalls) that translates the private IPv4 address from devices in your home and office to the public IPv4 address assigned to your router by the ISP and vice versa. NAT helps address the limited number of public IPv4 addresses available worldwide.

A NAT type describes the status of your network connection. The three NAT types are Strict, Moderate, and Open.

• NAT Type Strict: It is the most secure of the NAT types but also the most restrictive one. Users with a Strict NAT type can join games hosted by a system with an Open NAT type. However, the connection is dropped if a system with a Moderate NAT type joins the same game.
• NAT Type Moderate : It is moderately secure and opens a few ports. Systems with a Moderate NAT type can join other systems using the Moderate or Open NAT type.
• NAT Type Open : Choose Open NAT if you want to host matches. It has no restrictions and facilitates data transfer between all devices without restrictions, irrespective of their NAT type or firewall configuration.

Your default NAT type depends on your router configuration. If you experience network-related issues, changing your NAT type from Strict or Moderate to Open can help. However, be wary of potential security risks associated with changing your NAT type to Open.

How to Set a Static Private IP Address

Whether you want to change the NAT type using the UPnP method or port forwarding, you'll need a static IP address to make it work. Since most routers assign a dynamic IP address, you must manually configure a static IP for your Windows device.

If you already have a static IP address assigned to your device, skip to the following steps to change the NAT type. If not, follow the below steps to set a static IP address on your Windows computer :

• Press Win + R to open Run .
• Type cmd and click OK to open Command Prompt .
• In Command Prompt, type the following command to view your network information: ipconfig
• For this guide, we'll set up a static IP for the Ethernet adapter. So, scroll down to the Ethernet adapter section and note down the IPv4 Address , Subnet Mask , and Default Gateway .
• Next, press Win + I to open Settings .
• Go to Network & internet , and click on Ethernet to open the Ethernet adapter properties.
• Click the Edit button beside IP assignment.
• Select the Automatic (DCHP) drop-down and choose Manual.
• Toggle the switch to enable IPv4 .
• Enter the IP address by ensuring the first three octets of your IP address match the IPv4 address obtained using the ipconfig command—for example, type 192.168.0.200 . As you can see, we have kept the first three octets of the IP address ( 192.168.0 ) but changed the fourth octet to 200 from 101 .
• Enter the Subnet mask , and Default gateway address for the Ethernet adapter obtained using the ipconfig command.
• In the Preferred DNS field, enter 8.8.8.8 ; for Alternate DNS , enter 8.8.4.4 . This is a public DNS server offered by Google.
• Leave other settings as default and click Save to set up your static IP address for the device.

Once you have a static IP, you can follow the steps below to change the NAT type on your Windows computer.

1. Turn On Discovery Mode on Windows

Network Discovery is a built-in Windows feature to help you allow other computers on the network to detect your computer. You can turn On or Off the Network Discovery mode on Windows 10 from the Settings apps. Here's how to do it on Windows 11:

• Press Win + I to open Settings .
• Open the Network & internet tab in the left pane.
• Click on Advanced network settings .
• Scroll down and click Advanced sharing settings under the More settings section.
• Toggle the switch for Network Discovery to turn it on for public networks.

2. Enable UPnP On Your Router

You can change your NAT type to Open by enabling Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) in your router settings. This is the easiest way to change the NAT type, provided you can access your router configuration page. However, there are security concerns with the UPnP method , which hackers may exploit.

Note that the following steps apply to a TP-Link router. The process to enable UPnP may differ for routers from other manufacturers. Check your router's user manual or manufacturer knowledge base online for instructions.

Follow these steps to enable UPnP:

• Log in to your router's web-based utility. To do this, type the default gateway address (for example (http://192.168.0.1) in the search bar and press Enter. If not, here's how to find your router's IP address .
• On the router dashboard, open the Advanced tab.
• Click to expand NAT Forwarding in the left pane.
• Open the UPnP tab under NAT Forwarding .
• Toggle the switch to enable UPnP .

You can now close your router's web-based utility and check for any improvements in your network connectivity.

3. Change NAT Type Using Port Forwarding

Alternatively, you can use the safer port forwarding method to change your NAT type for a specific game title or application. While the process is a little complicated compared to UPnP, port forwarding gives greater control over open ports and their usage with enhanced security.

To create a new port forwarding entry, you'll need to know the TCP or UDP ports used for your specific game. For example, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War uses the following ports:

TCP: 3074, 27014-27050

UDP: 3074-3079

To find your game's UDP and TCP ports, perform a web search with your game title for port forwarding. Often, the game developers include port information for the game on their website.

Alternatively, go to portforward , select your game, and then your router name and model using the given options. On the following page, scroll down to locate the specific ports for your game. Port Forward keeps a database of ports for games on multiple platforms and for different router makers.

To change NAT type using Power Forwarding:

• Log in to your router's web app. In this instance, we'll use TP-Link's web-based utility.
• Open the Advanced tab.
• In the left pane, click to expand NAT Forwarding .
• Open the Port Forwarding tab.
• Click the + Add icon in the top right corner to create a new port forwarding entry.
• In the Add a Port Forwarding Entry dialog, type a name for Service Name . Make sure to add a name to make it easy to identify this port forwarding entry for future reference.
• In Device IP Address , type your computer's static IP address for Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
• Type your game's port number in the External and Internet Port fields. You can use a UDP or TCP port, but use the same port in both the External Port and Internal Port fields.
• Set the Protocol field to All .
• Once done, click Save to save the port forwarding entry.

The entry will be saved in the Port Forwarding table. You can enable or disable the entry using the Status toggle switch.

Apart from port forwarding, you can also change the NAT type by modifying your router's configuration file. However, some router manufacturers, including TP-Link, encrypt the configuration file, making it extremely difficult to make necessary modifications.

Changing NAT Type on Windows to Fix Network Issues

Changing the NAT type may be necessary to troubleshoot network-related issues. You can enable UPnP or turn on Network Discovery to ease network restrictions. However, we recommend port forwarding to reduce network restrictions without compromising network security.

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