How to Change Your IP Address on Windows
Changing your IP address on Windows can mean renewing your private IP from your router, setting a static private IP for port forwarding, or replacing your public IP by using a VPN. Each scenario uses a different method. This guide covers all three approaches for Windows 10 and 11.
Method 1 - Renew Your Private IP via DHCP (Command Prompt)
| Step | Command | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Command Prompt as Administrator | Required to run network commands |
| 2 | ipconfig /release | Releases your current DHCP lease - Disconnects you from the network momentarily |
| 3 | ipconfig /renew | Requests a new DHCP lease from your router - May get a new private IP |
| 4 | ipconfig /flushdns | Clears DNS cache - Good practice after renewing |
Method 2 - Set a Static Private IP in Windows Settings
Go to Settings → Network & Internet → select your connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) → Properties (or Edit). Under IP assignment, click Edit → change to Manual → toggle IPv4 on. Enter your chosen IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.150 - Must be in the same subnet as your router but outside its DHCP range), subnet mask (255.255.255.0), and gateway (your router's IP). Click Save. Your private IP is now fixed and will not change on reconnect.
Method 3 - Change Your Public IP with a VPN
A VPN replaces your public IP - The one websites see - With the VPN server's IP address. Download a VPN client (NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Mullvad, ProtonVPN), install it, sign in, and connect to a server. All outbound traffic will use the VPN server's IP. To verify, visit whatsmyipnow.com before and after connecting.
Important Notes
ipconfig /releaseand/renewonly change your private IP - Your public IP is controlled by your ISP and requires a router restart or VPN to change.- To change your public IP without a VPN, you can try restarting your router and waiting - Some ISPs issue a new public IP on reconnect, though many ISPs now use sticky DHCP leases.
- Setting a static IP in Windows only affects that machine - Your router's DHCP pool is unchanged.
- IPv6 addresses (if assigned) are not affected by ipconfig /release on most systems - Use your VPN's IPv6 leak protection to mask IPv6 as well.
- After any IP change, run a VPN leak test to confirm no leaks are present.
Checking What Address You Actually Have
From Windows Settings
Open Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi → Hardware properties (or Ethernet → your adapter). The panel lists your IPv4 address, IPv6 addresses, DNS servers, gateway, and the physical (MAC) address - Everything you need to confirm whether a renewal actually changed anything. The command-line equivalent is ipconfig /all, which additionally shows DHCP lease obtained/expires timestamps.
Private vs public - Which one did you change?
| You Changed | How to Verify | Who Controls It |
|---|---|---|
| Private IP (e.g. 192.168.1.x) | ipconfig in Command Prompt - Compare before and after | Your router's DHCP server |
| Public IP | Visit the homepage or run an IP lookup - Compare before and after | Your ISP (or your VPN while connected) |
| DNS path | Run a leak test - Resolvers shown should match your intent | Adapter settings, router, or VPN |
Why /release and /renew Often Return the Same IP
DHCP routers keep a lease table mapping your adapter's MAC address to the IP it last held, and they deliberately re-issue the same address when the device returns - It keeps networks stable. To force a genuinely different private IP, either set one manually (Method 2), or change the adapter's MAC address first: Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi → Hardware properties → Random hardware addresses toggles per-network MAC randomisation, after which the router treats your PC as a new device and issues a fresh lease. The same logic applies upstream: ISPs map your public IP to your router's WAN MAC, which is why a quick router reboot usually returns the same public address. How leases work is covered in depth in What Is DHCP?
What This Means for You
Match the method to the problem. Local conflicts or a broken connection: ipconfig /release, /renew, /flushdns fixes most of it in under a minute. Port forwarding or a home server: set a static private IP so the rule never breaks. Privacy, geo-blocks, or an IP ban: only a new public IP helps, which means a VPN or waiting out your ISP's lease - Restarting your router is free but not guaranteed. And remember that changing an IP is not hiding one: your new ISP-issued address still identifies your provider and city, as an IP lookup will show.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ipconfig /renew change my public IP?
No. The /release and /renew commands only negotiate a new private IP with your own router. Your public IP is assigned by your ISP to the router's WAN interface and is untouched by anything you run on a PC behind it - Only a router reconnect, an ISP lease change, or a VPN changes the public address.
How do I pick a safe static IP for my Windows PC?
Choose an address inside your router's subnet but outside its DHCP pool - For a router at 192.168.1.1 handing out .100-.200, something like 192.168.1.50 works. Check the pool range in your router's admin page first; picking an address inside the pool risks a conflict when DHCP assigns it to another device.
Will changing my IP on Windows stop websites tracking me?
Barely. Sites track you with cookies, logins, and browser fingerprints that survive any IP change, and a renewed ISP address still maps to the same provider and area. For meaningful privacy, pair an IP change with tracker blocking - And see what your browser exposes regardless of IP with a fingerprint check.