How to Connect Windows 10 to the Internet and Change the IP

Nowadays it is rare to have a computer and not connect Windows to the Internet. Many programs need this connection to function properly, it is necessary to keep the PC up to date, and even the way of working and using a PC today is linked directly to the Internet. Therefore, connecting to the Internet is one of the first things we do when we start our computer. And, although it should not pose any problem for users, below we will explain how to do it, how to configure the connection and how to solve any possible problem that we may encounter.

Windows 10 allows us to connect to the Internet from the moment we start to install it. Once the file copying is finished, the operating system asks us to connect in order to check for new versions of the system and log in with our Microsoft Account, among other things.

Connect Windows 10 to the Internet and Change the IP

If we have the PC connected by cable, it will connect directly to the Internet without having to do anything else. If we do not have an Ethernet cable, and we have Wi-Fi, then during the installation process we will be able to see all the networks that are within our reach, choose ours, and connect to it with its password.

Once Windows is installed, that network will work. But, if we change the network, or want to connect by cable, we will have to follow some steps.

Connect Windows 10 to the Internet

There are several ways to connect the PC to the computer. The most common are through an Ethernet cable , if we have the router nearby, or through Wi-Fi, if you prefer wireless connections. But we can also resort to other alternatives, such as 4G.

By cable

Windows 10 is ready to automatically detect wired connections and connect to them without us having to do anything. As these connections do not require a key or specific software, when we connect the cable to the PC, and that cable is connected to the router, the operating system receives the IP automatically through DHCP from the router and , in a few seconds, we can surf the net.

We can know that we are connected to the Internet by the icon of the PC with the cable that appears next to the clock.

Conexión con cable en Windows 10

In case we want to disconnect from the Internet, we have two options. The first one is to disconnect the network cable from the PC, which will obviously cut the connection. And the second one is to disable the network card from the Control Panel> Networks and Internet> Network Connections , locating the network card and, with the right button, click on “Disable”.

Deshabilitar tarjeta de red en Windows

To reactivate the connection, we simply repeat the steps, but choosing the “Enable” option.

By Wi-Fi

If we have a wireless network card, or Wi-Fi , in the PC, what we will see next to the clock will be the icon of the wireless signal. This icon will allow us to know if we are connected to the network, and the level of signal that reaches us. If we click on it we can directly see the list with all the Wi-Fi networks that we have around us.

If we click on one of them we will see a box from which we will have to enter the network password in order to connect. In the event that we are going to connect to this network often, we can mark the option that will allow us to automatically connect to it.

Introducir contraseña Wi-Fi Windows 10

As soon as you enter the network password, your PC will receive the IP configuration directly from the router and that’s it. We will already be connected to the Internet.

To disconnect, we show the complete list of networks available in Windows 10 again, select ours and click the disconnect button. We will automatically be disconnected from the network.

Desconectar red Wi-Fi Windows 10

Cut all connections with “Airplane Mode”

Windows 10, like Android or iOS, has an option called ” Airplane mode .” This option allows us to cut all kinds of wireless connections from our computer. It is a very fast way to disconnect from the Internet, but we must bear in mind that, if we activate it, other connections will also be cut, such as Bluetooth.

We can access airplane mode from the list of wireless networks on our PC, at the bottom. We can activate or deactivate this mode by clicking on its button.

By 4G

If our PC connects to the Internet through a 3G, 4G or 5G modem, then the way to connect is a little different. If Windows 10 is able to recognize the modem, the 4G network will appear as one more Wi-Fi network, at the top. Otherwise, we will have to use the manufacturer’s software in order to use this connection.

Normally, to connect we are asked for either the PIN code of the SIM card, or a username and password that give us access to our operator’s network.

Change IP in Windows 10

Normally Windows 10 obtains the IP directly from the router through a protocol known as DHCP. This allows us to forget about the tedious task of having to choose a different IP for each PC or device that we connect, since it is the router itself that takes care of everything.

However, there are times when we may need to customize, or change, the IP of a computer in Windows 10. And this can be done from the control panel (now obsolete method) or from the Settings menu, much faster. and intuitive.

We click on the network icon , next to the clock, to directly open the Windows network and Internet configuration section. In the new window that we will see, we will locate our network card, and we will click on the “Properties” button.

Propiedades de red en Windows 10

In the new window that will open we scroll to the bottom. Here we are going to see two parts that interest us. The first one will be ” IP Configuration “, from where we will be able to change the IP of the PC, and the second will be “Properties”, which will help us to know what the IP of the computer is, and other related information with the network card.

We click on the “Edit” button to be able to change the address of the PC.

Cambiar IP en Windows 10 - 1

A new window will appear from which we will be able to change the way we receive the computer’s IP. We can choose DHCP, and forget, or Manual, to configure it by hand. We can also choose if we want to configure IPv4 or IPv6, although the most common is to use IPv4, the standard.

Cambiar IP en Windows 10 - 2

Once the IPv4 is marked, we will have to fill in the 5 boxes that appear with the new IP address that we want to give Windows, the subnet mask , the gateway, and the primary and secondary DNS that we want to use.

For example, supposing that we have a 192.168.1.0 network, and that 192.168.1.1 is the IP of the router (it is usually the most common), the configuration that we can apply is:

  • IP: 192.168.1.2
  • Subnet: 255.255.255.0
  • Gateway: 192.168.1.1
  • Preferred DNS: 1.1.1.1
  • Secondary DNS: 8.8.8.8

We save the changes and that’s it. Windows will automatically disconnect from the network and reconnect with our new settings.

Other options that we can configure for the Internet connection

In addition to changing the IP, from the Windows 10 Settings menu we will be able to customize other aspects related to the Internet connection.

Public or private connection

From this configuration panel we will be able to configure the network profile . In this way we will be able to choose if we want our computer to be visible to others on the network, and share resources with them (that is, if we are in a private network) or if we are in an open Wi-Fi and we want to be safe (a public network).

Perfil de red público o privado

Metered usage

If we are connecting to the Internet through a metered network (for example, a 4G connection with a few gigs per month), then we will have to activate this option. With it, what we are going to achieve is to disable all kinds of connections in the background (for example, Windows updates) and reduce Internet use to a minimum.

Conexión de uso medido en Windows

We can even set a monthly limit to avoid spending data and not spending more.

VPN

If we have to connect to the Internet through a VPN (something very common, for example, for teleworking), we can do it from Settings> Network and Internet> VPN. From here we can add a new connection to connect to the Internet through it.

Configurar VPN Windows 10

Proxy

Finally, if in order to go to the Internet we have to go through a proxy, we can configure it from the Settings menu, within Network and Internet> Proxy. We can activate the use of the proxy server, and configure it, from here.

Configurar Proxy Windows 10

Fix common problems

Windows 10 has a tool that allows us to solve most of the problems related to the Internet connection. This can be found in the Settings panel, in the Update and security category> Troubleshoot, under “Additional troubleshooters “.

Here we will find a tool called ” Internet Connections “. We execute it and we will be able to see the wizard that will guide us through the process of analyzing and solving any problems that may exist.

Solucionar errores conexión Windows

In addition, we can also find other common errors that will prevent us from connecting to the Internet normally.

Tricks to solve connection problems

In addition to the problem solver, we can use some simple tricks that will help us solve these problems:

  • If the problems are with a Wi-Fi network, we can forget it and reconnect to it.
  • Disable (or enable) DHCP.
  • Update network drivers.
  • In case of coverage problems, check the channel of the Wi-Fi network.

These CMD commands can also help us to troubleshoot problems with the Internet connection:

  • netsh int ip reset
  • ipconfig / release
  • ipconfig / renew
  • netsh winsock reset
  • ipconfig / release
  • netsh int ip reset
  • ipconfig / renew
  • ipconfig / flushdns

Most common mistakes

IP conflict

If Windows shows us an “IP conflict” message, it is because the router has detected that two, or more, computers on the same network are using the same IP address. This message is quite common when we configure the IP manually on the computers and repeat the same address.

We can solve it by manually changing the IP for another that is not being used, or by activating DHCP to let the router itself automatically assign the IP address.

Unidentified network

This error message can appear for many reasons. For example, because the firewall is blocking the whole connection, because the antivirus is malfunctioning and is blocking all the traffic, or simply because we have the airplane mode activated in Windows 10.

Therefore, to solve this error we will have to review the previous points to find the cause and be able to solve it as soon as possible.

Limited or no connectivity

This message indicates that, although we are connected to a network, for some reason we do not have an Internet connection. It may be due to a specific failure of the router (if the connection has fallen), a problem with the drivers of the network card or a bad configuration (for example, a bad IP or gateway) of the connection.