How To Change Your IP Address [All Methods]

The IP address refers to Internet Protocol, and it handles the connection between devices. Changing the IP address can solve connectivity issues and also help keep things secured. The process of changing the IP address varies from device to device, but it can be quickly done through the connectivity settings.

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Key Takeaways

• Your internet service provider assigns you a dynamic IP address which can be changed by resetting your router.
• You can restart your router to change your dynamic IP address, use the Command Prompt to assign a new one to your computer, or change it directly from the Adapter Settings. 
• You can use VPN or a proxy to change your IP address, but it may come at the cost of a slow connection.

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How Changing IP Address Can Fix Problems?

Although, very rarely, you may sometimes need to change your IP address to get around a website or game ban or resolve technical issues with your network. Your IP address is a numeric code assigned to your device once you connect to the internet. This IP address makes communication over the internet and between other networks possible.

A static IP address cannot be changed, unlike a dynamic IP address which your ISP recycles over the devices on the network, and you are assigned a new one every time the connection refreshes.

Sometimes, masking your IP address or changing it to another one helps if you are trying to access a service from a restricted region and want to browse the internet while protecting your identity.

What Happens When You Change Your IP?

Changing your IP address suspends all your internet activity for a moment, like when you lose your internet connection. Once the IP is changed successfully and traffic is re-routed to your new IP, you can continue browsing the internet after refreshing the request.

Switching your IP address using a proxy or VPN masks your geographical location and protects your privacy while surfing online. It prevents hackers from monitoring your online traffic and getting access to your private data, passwords, and cookies.

How To Change Your IP Address

Below are methods that can help you change the IP address quickly.

Restart Router To Change Dynamic IP

The easiest way to change your IP address is to restart your internet router. Restarting your internet router refreshes the internet connection, and your Internet Service Provider assigns a new IP. Your Internet Service Provider recycles different IP addresses over devices connected to the same network.

Turn off your internet modem and unplug it from power. Wait a few minutes before plugging it back into power and turning it on. The ISP will assign a new IP from the designated IP block to your device once the connection is re-established.

However, this method only works sometimes because the ISP might assign you the same public IP address. In this case, you can get a static IP address for your device by requesting it from your ISP. The private IP address remains unchanged even if you disconnect your router.

Renew IP Address On Windows

You may need to change your private IP address to troubleshoot your network connection or configure a printer on your device. Each device has its own private or local IP address, whereas public IP address can be shared by multiple devices using the same network.

1. Go to “Command Prompt” from the Start menu.
2. Right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator.”
3. Type “ipconfig/release” in the command window.

   

4. Once the IP address has been released, enter “ipconfig/renew.”

This will assign a new local address to your computer.

How To Change Static IP Address On Windows?

There are a few ways to change static IP addresses on your Windows computer. First, you must request your ISP for a static IP which you can configure on your device. You may have to choose a payment plan for static IP, which can be three times more costly than having a dynamic IP.

Change IP Address From Network Settings

You can check your network’s IP settings from Network & Internet Settings.

1. Go to “Settings” by clicking on the gear icon in the Start menu.
2. Choose “Network & Internet” from the settings menu.

   

3. Under Network Status, you can see which network your computer is connected to. Choose “Properties” to access IP settings.

   

4. Scroll down to find “IP settings” for the network and choose “Edit.”

   

5. Select “Manual” in Edit IP Settings.
6. Next, toggle IPV4 switch to change the IP address manually.

   

7. Enter your network’s IP address, subnet prefix length, gateway, and DNS.

   

If you are unfamiliar with your network’s gateway and subnet prefix length, you can open “Command Prompt” in Windows and type the command “ipconfig” to find out this information.

Change IP Address From Control Panel

Another way to manually switch your IP address is from Network & Sharing Center in Control Panel.

1. Go to Start Menu, search “Control Panel,” and open it.
2. Select “Network and Internet” from the options.

   

3. Select “Network and Sharing Center” to see active networks on your computer.

   

4. Choose “Change adapter settings” from the options on the left of the window.

   

5. Here you will see all networks that are configured on your device.

   

6. Right-click on the network for which you want to change the IP address and choose “Properties” from the menu.

   

7. Mark “Internet Protocol Version 4” and then select “Properties.”

   

8. The Properties tab will open, showing IP and DNS settings for your network.
9. Choose “use the following IP address” to enter the IP address manually.

   

10. You will have to manually add the preferred DNS when you change the IP address.
11. Click “OK” when you are done.

How To Change IP Address On Mac?

Follow these steps to change the static IP address for your network on a Mac Computer.

1. Go to “System Preferences” from Home.

   

2. Select “Network” settings.
3. Choose your network connection.
4. Click the drop-down menu beside “Configure IPV4.”

   

5. Select “Manually” from the options to change the IP address.

   

6. Enter your IP address. This will change the IP address on your device.

If you want to change the dynamic IP address on Mac, keep “Using DHCP” selected and restart your router.

How To Change Static IP On iPhone?

Changing the IP address on iPhone follows the same steps as changing it on the Mac.

1. Go to “Settings” on your iPhone.
2. Open “Wi-Fi” to view your network connection.

   

3. Open your network by clicking on the i-icon next to it.
4. Scroll down and choose “Configure IP” under IPV4 Address.

   

5. Select “Manual” to change the IP address.

   

6. Enter your IP address and click “Save” to save the new IP address.

You can keep setting it to “DHCP” to get keep getting dynamic IP address every time router is reset. If you want to change the dynamic IP address on Mac without resetting router, select the “Renew Lease” option below the IP settings to release and renew the local IP address.

How To Change Static IP Address On Android Phone?

You can change the IP address on your Android phone by going to your connection settings. In other versions of Android phones, connection settings will be named “Network & Internet” settings.

1. Go to the “Settings” app on Android.
2. Choose “Network & Internet” settings and then select “Wi-Fi.”
3. Tap and hold on to the connected Wi-Fi network. Select “Modify network” from the options that appear. In some versions of Android, you may see “Manage network settings.”
4. Select “Advanced options” to view IP settings.
5. Tap on “DHCP” to open drop-down menu and change IP settings.
   

   

6. In IP settings, choose “Static.”

   

7. Enter static IP address information to change your IP address.

   

If you cannot modify the network settings, click “Forget Network” and then try to access Modify Network settings.

Use A VPN

If you are trying to access an app that has been blocked in your region, then changing the IP address on your device from network settings will not solve the problem for you. This is because that particular service has blocked all the IP addresses in your country from connecting to their servers.

You can use a Virtual Private Network to relocate (change your IP address to another location) and get around such content restrictions.

Another benefit of using a VPN is browsing the internet while protecting your identity online. Your public IP address lets others know about your location. VPNs hide your IP address from apps, websites, and ISP, and prevents hackers from surveying your internet activity and private data.

Download ExpressVPN on your device and connect to a server from another region to change your IP address.

Connect To Another Network

Your Internet Service Provider assigns your IP address from a specific IP block. You can change the public IP address by connecting to a different network, such as another Wi-Fi, or connecting your device to a mobile hotspot.

Benefits Of Changing IP Address

• Changing your IP with a VPN can allow you to access geo-restricted services by connecting to VPN servers in another place.
• Changing your VPN allows you to protect your identity when going online.
• It helps protect you from hackers, network traffic monitoring, and data leakage on the internet.
• Changing the IP address can help troubleshoot router issues and speed up the internet connection.
• You can unblock websites or apps banned by the government by changing your IP address using a VPN.

Drawbacks Of Changing IP Address

• Using a VPN to mask your IP address can reduce the connection speed. You may need higher bandwidth to use VPN services.
• If you want to acquire a static IP address, you will have to pay your Internet Service Provider for it, and the cost can be high in this case.
• Manually configuring static IP on a single device is simple, but for a business with multiple devices, it can be time-consuming and complex.
• It can be easier to hack a static IP address because it does not change regularly and can be tracked.

Additional Tip

You can also use a proxy to switch your IP address. However, proxies do not offer encryption and can expose your identity online. We recommend using a VPN or Tor to change your IP address.

Remember, using a third-party proxy app, Tor, or VPN may slow down your internet.

Final Words

If you use a public Wi-Fi to go online, we recommend you use a VPN for an extra layer of security on your device. It changes your IP to a different location, so even your Internet Service Provider might not be able to track your internet activity.

Always make sure to use take steps to protect your digital privacy, such as having anti-virus installed on your device, blocking ads, and securing your accounts with strong passwords and two-factor authentication. We hope that our guide on how to change IP address has helped you greatly.