How to Change Your IP Address

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.

You can read our DHCP definition to get a better understanding.

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.

How to determine if your computer is being assigned the external IP.

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 risk of your ISP banning you from connection...