The IP address is a series of numbers used to identify devices connected to the network. We must differentiate between public (with which we go to the Internet) and private (which is used to identify ourselves in the router). We can have a dynamic address, offered by the router, but also a fixed one. Sometimes the latter is necessary to carry out certain configurations and avoid conflicts with other devices. We are going to explain how to change the IP in Windows . You simply have to follow a series of steps that we are going to show.
Why it may be necessary to change the IP
Sometimes it can be essential to have a fixed IP address on a computer. For example, if it is a server that we want to access from anywhere. Also so that certain programs can work correctly in Windows.
This means that it may be necessary to change from a dynamic IP to a static one on our computer. To do this, you only have to carry out a series of steps . In the case of Windows 10 the procedure is very simple. We will not have to install anything, nor access the router for it.
However, it must be borne in mind that using a static IP can also have its negative side. It is less secure in the face of possible cyber attacks that can target our equipment. In addition, we must be aware of the possibility of a conflict with another computer that may be using that same address on our network.
Steps to change the IP address in Windows
Windows 10 is today the most used operating system on desktop computers. This means that on many occasions users need to carry out changes and configurations so that the network works well, so that there are no conflicts with applications, etc.
Therefore, it offers a series of possibilities related to the network and one of them is to use a dynamic or static IP address . The normal thing is that it is configured in automatic mode. This means that the router itself, once we connect, will assign us both an IP and a subnet mask. Also DNS can be configured automatically or manually.
However, we can change all this at any time. We can put a different IP on our computer and in this way connect to the router. It could be interesting if we want to configure some parameters or if we do not want conflicts with other devices that could have the same address.
Configure another IP in Windows
The first thing we have to do is go to Start, access Settings, go to Network and Internet and click on the network card (either Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and we are going to Change adapter options . There we have to choose the card we are using, the one we want to modify and put a different IP.
You have to double click on it and go to Properties. There a new window will appear with different options. The one we are interested in marking is Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP / IPv4) and we click Properties again.
Here one more window will open where a section related to the IP address and another to the DNS will appear . In both cases we can configure it automatically or set the values manually. By default the first option will be checked, so all we have to do is select Use the following IP address.
By checking this option we will see that it automatically selects the Use the following DNS server addresses as well. In this way we can fill in the different sections and be able to change the IP address in Windows. We give Validate configuration and accept. At any time we can go back to using an automatic IP, as well as DNS.
Know the default gateway
There are several factors to consider when setting an IP address in Windows. We will have to put the IP, the subnet mask and the default gateway . Not all routers will have the same values in these last two cases. They are generally 192.168.1.1 and 255.255.255.0, respectively. However, it may vary.
To find out which is the default gateway of the router and the subnet mask we can execute the command ipconfig in Windows. To do this we go to Start, open the Command Prompt and put that command.
It will show us a series of data related to our network. Among them we can see the default gateway and the subnet mask. We simply have to put those values when configuring another IP in Windows.
Avoid IP conflict
When we put an IP address , which will be a value between 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.254 in most cases (the default gateway is reserved for the router and is usually, as we have indicated, 192.168.1.1), we must take into account there is no conflict with other teams.
If for example we assign the IP address 192.168.1.10 and we are using it on another computer, they could not be connected at the same time. The router would reject one of the two connections. We would be forced to change to a different direction.
Changing DNS can help speed
We have mainly focused on IP change in Windows. However, as we have seen, we can also change the DNS servers . By default we will be using those of the operator. Sometimes we could have problems and certain limitations.
There are a large number of DNS servers available on the Internet that we can use publicly. For example we can mention those of Google, which are very popular, as well as those of Cloudflare. They could even help us improve speed and maintain security, as some are designed to prevent us from accessing sites that may be fraudulent. Therefore, it is an alternative that we also have available and that we can apply.
In short, following these steps we can change the IP in Windows 10. We have seen that it is a quick and easy process. In addition, at any time we will be able to return to the previous state. We will be able to configure it again to assign an address automatically. We can do the same with DNS.
