Have you ever wanted to change your IP address manually—maybe for troubleshooting, network customization, or simply gaining more control over your network settings? Whether you’re on Windows 10 or Windows 11, setting a static IP can be both useful and surprisingly simple.

In this detailed blog post, we’ll walk through the exact steps to manually assign a static IP address in Windows using Control Panel and Command Prompt. No software or tools required—just built-in Windows features and a bit of network knowledge.

Let’s dive in.

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💡 Why Change Your IP Address?

Before jumping into the technical how-to, let’s take a moment to understand why changing your IP address can be beneficial:

• Stabilize Network Connections: Helps in avoiding IP conflicts on busy networks.
• Improve Port Forwarding: Makes configuring routers or firewalls easier.
• Secure Static Assignments: Useful for servers, printers, or devices requiring consistent addresses.
• Speed Up Device Discovery: Some apps/services discover devices better via static IPs.

Whether you’re troubleshooting or customizing your home or office network, a static IP can make your life easier.

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🔧 Step 1: Open the Network Connections Panel

Let’s begin by accessing the system panel where all your network adapters are listed.

1. Press Windows + S to open the search.
2. Type: ncpa.cpl
3. Hit Enter.

This command opens the Network Connections window that shows all active and inactive network interfaces like Wi-Fi, Ethernet, VPN, etc.

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🖧 Step 2: Identify Your Active Network Adapter

Now that you’re on the Network Connections screen, look for the adapter you’re currently using.

• If you’re on Wi-Fi, look for Wi-Fi.
• If you’re using a LAN cable, select Ethernet.

🖱️ Right-click on your active adapter and choose Status.

Then click on Details to view current IP details, including:

• IPv4 Address
• Subnet Mask
• Default Gateway
• DNS Server
• DHCP Status (Enabled means dynamic IP)

💡 If DHCP is enabled, your IP is currently being assigned automatically by the router. To switch to a manual IP, we’ll need to disable DHCP in the next step.

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⚙️ Step 3: Switch from DHCP to Static IP

Let’s move forward and assign a static IP address.

1. Right-click your adapter again, then choose Properties.
2. Scroll down and double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
3. You’ll see two options:
   • Obtain an IP address automatically
   • Use the following IP address

✔️ Choose Use the following IP address to start manually setting your network values.

But before you start entering random numbers, we need to find out what range of IPs is available on your network.

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🖥️ Step 4: Find Available IP Range Using CMD

We’re doing great so far! Now, let’s use the Command Prompt to figure out which IP addresses are already taken.

1. Search cmd in the Start menu.
2. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as Administrator.
3. When the terminal opens, type:

ipconfig

This command will show your current IP setup. Look for your adapter and note:

• IPv4 address
• Default Gateway

4. Now type this command:

arp -a

This will display a list of all known IP addresses currently in use on your network.

You’ll see something like:

192.168.206.1
192.168.206.45
192.168.206.130
...

🧠 The idea here is to choose an IP that is not already taken. Pick a number between 2 and 254 (excluding the ones you saw). For example: 192.168.206.142.

Important: The first three numbers in the IP (192.168.206) must match your network’s prefix, which you saw via ipconfig.

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📥 Step 5: Set the New IP Address

Let’s get back to the IPv4 Settings window where we left off.

Fill in the following fields:

• IP Address: e.g., 192.168.206.142
• Subnet Mask: Just click the box and it auto-fills to 255.255.255.0 in most home networks.
• Default Gateway: This is your router’s IP, e.g., 192.168.206.1 or 192.168.206.2

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🌐 Step 6: Set the DNS Server

By default, your ISP’s DNS server is used—but you can improve speed, privacy, or reliability by using a public DNS service like Cloudflare or Google.

Recommended DNS Servers:

🔸 Cloudflare DNS

• Preferred DNS: 1.1.1.1
• Alternate DNS: 1.0.0.1

🔸 Google DNS

• Preferred DNS: 8.8.8.8
• Alternate DNS: 8.8.4.4

Enter these in the DNS server fields and click OK, then OK again on the previous window.

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✅ Step 7: Verify the New IP Configuration

Now that you’ve saved everything, it’s time to verify whether the IP address has been successfully changed.

To check:

1. Right-click the adapter → Status → Details
2. Check the IPv4 Address line.
3. It should show the IP you manually set (e.g., 192.168.206.142).
4. DHCP will now show as Disabled.
5. DNS entries will also reflect your custom entries.

💡 If you face issues like no internet access or limited connectivity:

• Try changing the last digit of your IP (e.g., from .142 to .143, .144, etc.)
• Avoid numbers already shown in arp -a.

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🔄 Bonus: Reverting to Automatic IP Address

If something goes wrong or you just want to go back to automatic IP assignment:

• Go back to the IPv4 Properties window.
• Select Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically.
• Click OK, then reconnect your internet.

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🧠 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Can I assign any random IP address?
No. You must stay within your local network’s IP range and avoid conflicts with already-used IPs. Use arp -a or router logs to check.

Q2: Will changing the IP affect my internet speed?
Not really. Static or dynamic IP doesn’t affect speed directly but can improve stability in some setups.

Q3: Is this method safe for beginners?
Yes, as long as you follow the steps carefully and note your previous settings before making changes.

Q4: How do I know which DNS is faster?
You can use tools like DNS Benchmark or namebench to test.

Q5: Can I do the same for Wi-Fi?
Absolutely! Just follow the exact same steps for the Wi-Fi adapter instead of Ethernet.

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🎯 Final Thoughts

Changing your IP address manually in Windows 10 or 11 is not just a networking trick—it’s a practical solution that gives you more control and customization. Whether you’re configuring a home server, avoiding IP conflicts, or just experimenting, this guide has everything you need.

Remember:

• Use ncpa.cpl to access adapters.
• Use cmd → ipconfig and arp -a to identify ranges.
• Set a valid IP, gateway, and DNS.
• Verify and revert if needed.

Once you get used to these steps, changing your IP becomes a quick routine rather than a technical nightmare.

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Tags:
Windows IP setup, static IP Windows 11, change IP address manually, network configuration guide, set static IP Ethernet, Windows 10 network tips, IPv4 configuration, CMD IP tools, Cloudflare DNS setup, Google DNS setup

Hashtags:
#Windows11 #StaticIP #NetworkTips #IPv4 #ChangeIPAddress #CMDTools #WindowsSettings #CloudflareDNS #GoogleDNS #NetworkingGuide

Sneha Rao

Sneha is a hardware reviewer and technology journalist. She has reviewed laptops and desktops for over 6 years, focusing on performance, design, and user experience. Previously working with a consumer tech magazine, she now brings her expertise to in-depth product reviews and comparisons.

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