How Do I Change My IP Address?

There are MANY methods to change your IP address. Some methods will work for you but may not work for someone else and vice versa. We're going to cover how to change your IP address in Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and Vista using command prompt.

What If I Have a Static IP Address?

If your IP is static, then you CAN’T change it without contacting your ISP. Although not impossible, it is very rare that an ISP would assign you a static IP without some sort of increased level of service like a business account. However, an ISP can set a lengthy lease time for your IP address and make it look like you've assigned a static IP. If you have a long lease time (explained in this article) on your IP then you may not be able to change your IP address without leaving your modem or router unplugged for a long period of time (more than 8 hours), or without cloning your MAC address, which I’ll explain later in this article.
It definitely helps if you know how the IP is being assigned to you.

What Is An IP Address Lease Time?

An IP lease time is the amount of time your ISP determines you’ll be assigned a particular IP. Some IP lease times could be just a couple of hours, where some are set to a few days, and other IP lease times could be set for as long as a year or more. This setting is completely up to your ISP.
One of the easier methods to change your IP address is to turn off your modem/router/computer overnight. Then turn it back on the following morning. This method WILL NOT work if your ISP has a long lease time set for your IP.
The following method will ONLY work if your computer is being assigned your external IP and not a router.


If your connection is direct to your computer and your computer gets the public IP and not a router, you can try this:
For Windows 2000, XP, and 2003
1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Type in cmd and hit ok (this opens a Command Prompt)
4. Type ipconfig /release and hit enter
5. Click Start, Control Panel, and open Network Connections
6. Find and Right click on the active Local Area Connection and choose Properties
7. Double-click on the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
8. Click on Use the following IP address
9. Enter a false IP like 123.123.123.123
10. Press Tab and the Subnet Mask section will populate with default numbers
11. Hit OK twice
12. Right click the active Local Area Connection again and choose Properties
13. Double-click on the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
14. Choose Obtain an IP address automatically
15. Hit OK twice
16. Go to What Is My IP to see if you have a new IP address
For Vista (Windows 7 is very similar)
1. Click Start
2. Click All Programs expand the Accessories menu
3. In the Accessories menu, Right Click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator
4. Type ipconfig /release and hit enter
5. Click Start, Control Panel, and open Network and Sharing Center. Depending on your view, you may have to click Network and Internet before you see the Network and Sharing Center icon
6. From the Tasks menu on the left, choose Manage Network Connections
7. Find and Right click on the active Local Area Connection and choose Properties (If you’re hit with a UAC prompt, choose Continue)
8. Double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
9. Click on Use the following IP address
10. Enter a false IP like 123.123.123.123
11. Press Tab and the Subnet Mask section will populate with default numbers
12. Hit OK twice
13. Right click the active Local Area Connection again and choose Properties
14. Double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
15. Choose Obtain an IP address automatically
16. Hit OK twice
17. Go to What Is My IP to see if you have a new IP address
Some people have inquired about manually assigning their IP address. This IS possible, but you run a very high risk of your ISP banning you from connecting to the internet. To manually change your IP, follow the steps above for your Operating System. In step 9 or 10, depending on your O/S, enter an IP similar to the one displayed in the command prompt window. For example, if the IP displayed in the command prompt window is 75.1.2.3, change yours to 75.1.2.4. You’ll also need to manually enter the Subnet, Gateway and DNS Server IP addresses. If the new IP you give your computer doesn’t work, chances are someone else on the ISP network has already been assigned that IP. You’ll need to move on to the next one and keep trying until you find an open one. Keep in mind that some ISPs match up your MAC or modem data to the address that’s been assigned. If those 2 things don’t match up, you won’t be able to connect no matter what. If your router gets the IP and not your computer, you’ll need to http in to your routers interface and manually assign the IP there. It’s pretty much the same method as assigning the IP to your computer. The method that varies is in how you reach your routers interface. You can get the instructions from your manufacturer’s website.
MAC Cloning. What is a MAC address? A MAC address is a physical hardware address assigned to each device that has the capability of connecting to a network. The internet is nothing more than a large network. The MAC address is something that is assigned in the chip on the device and is not something the user can change. MAC cloning can only be done at your router providing it has those capabilities. Most ISPs assign their IPs based on the MAC address in your equipment. If the MAC address of your router is 00-11-22-33-44-55 and you connect to your ISP, the DHCP server records your MAC and assigns an IP. If you disconnect from the ISP, you lose your IP address. The next time you connect, the DHCP server sees your MAC, looks to see if it has assigned an IP address to you before. If it has and the lease time has not expired, it will most likely give you the same IP address you had before disconnecting and will not change your IP.

How to Fix DNS Server Not Responding Problem

Part 1 of 3: Verifying Your Connection

1.Connect another device to the network. Before you begin trying to solve the issue, it will help to know where the issue is occurring. You can narrow down the problem by performing a few quick tests. Connect another device to your router, either wired or wirelessly.

• You can use another computer, or a smartphone or tablet. Anything that accesses the internet will work to test.

2.Try to access a webpage from the second device. If you are still receiving DNS errors, then the problem lies in your router or with your ISP. If you can connect to the website, then the problem is coming from the first computer.




3.Power cycle your modem and router. Unplug your modem's power cable as well as your router's power cable. Allow them to sit unpowered for at least 30 seconds so that any residual charge is released and the memory is cleared. Reconnect your modem, and wait for it to fully connect. After it has powered on completely, reconnect the power cable to your router and allow it to boot up. This could take up to a minute.

• Once you have power cycled both devices, try connecting to a website again. If the problem still persists, move on to the next section.

4.If you're using an mobile device you can go to >settings>mobile data and reset the configurations.

Part 2 of 3: Troubleshooting the Computer

1.Try a different browser. This is one of the quickest ways to test your DNS connections. Download a different free browser such as Firefox or Chrome and attempt to connect to the internet. If the issues persist, then the problem is likely not with the browser, but with some other setting on the computer.

• If the issues are resolved, then you can try troubleshooting your old browser. Oftentimes the issue stems from the proxy settings. 

2.Disable any extra connections. Occasionally, Windows will install extra connections that you won't normally use. For best connectivity, you should only have the connections that you use regularly enabled. To open your Network Connections window, click the Start menu or press the ⊞ Win button and search for "ncpa.cpl".

• Look for extra connections. You should see a list of all your connections. The most common cause for DNS issues is the existence of "Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter". IF you see this, right-click it and select "Disable".
• Test your connection again. Wait a few moments and then open your browser again. Try to visit a website. The DNS may take a few moments to load, but if the webpage appears then the problem has been solved. If not, move on to the next step.

4.Change your DNS server. You can manually enter an alternative DNS server to attempt to connect to instead. To do so, open the "ncpa.cpl" window again and right-click on your active connection. Select "Properties".

• In the Networking tab, scroll down until you find the "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" entry. Click it to select it and then click the Properties button.
• Click the "Use the following DNS server addresses" option.
• Enter 208.67.222.222 into the "Preferred DNS server" field
• Enter 208.67.220.220 into the "Alternate DNS server" field.
• These are DNS servers maintained by OpenDNS, an open-source DNS service.

5.Try connecting in Safe Mode. Rebooting your computer into Safe Mode will only load the essential files for Windows, which will allow you to determine if another program or service such as your antivirus is causing the connection issues.

• You can try disabling your antivirus first and seeing if that fixes the issue. If so, then you should uninstall your antivirus and install a new one.
• Reboot your computer and hold down the F8 key while it is booting up.
• Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list of options.
• Test the connection. If you are able to successfully connect to the internet, then the problem lies with a program running on your computer. Examine the startup files and disable programs until you find the culprit.

Part 3 of 3: Troubleshooting the Router

1.Plug your computer directly into your modem. If you are using a router to create a home network, disconnect your computer from it and plug an ethernet cable directly into your modem's Ethernet port.

• Attempt to load a webpage. If you are still receiving DNS errors, then the problem likely lies with the ISP. Contact them and inquire about connecting to the DNS servers.
• If you can connect to a web page, then the problem stems from your router. Reconnect your router to your modem and connect your computer back to the network to continue troubleshooting.

2.Enter in alternate DNS servers. You can change your router's settings so that it attempts to manually connect to alternate DNS servers. This can tell you if your ISP's DNS server may be faulty.

• Open your router's configuration page. This is different for every router, but essentially you will need to enter your router's IP address into your browser's address bar.
• Open the Internet section. Find the subsection marked "Domain Name Server (DNS) Address".
• Set it to manually use DNS servers that you enter.
• Enter the OpenDNS server information (Primary - 208.67.222.222, Secondary - 208.67.220.220) or Google DNS server information (Primary - 8.8.8.8, Secondary - 8.8.4.4).
• Click Apply or Save Changes. Your router will take a few moments to apply the changes.
• Test it out. Open up a new browser window on your computer and attempt to connect to a website. If you are able to connect then your ISP is most likely having DNS issues.

3.Reset your router. Sometimes the settings on your router might get corrupted, and the easiest way to fix them is to simply reset your router to default settings. This will reset your wireless network settings and any port forwarding information.

• To reset your router, use a paperclip or other pointy object to press and hold the Reset button on the back of the router.
• Reconfigure your router. After it has been reset, you will need to reconfigure your wireless network (if you were using it). Any admin passwords and accounts will be reset as well.