How to Refresh IP Address

Today's TipsMake will show you how to change the public IP address on your computer by performing power-cycling with your router. If you want to change your private IP address (the address assigned to your computer when connected to a local network), you need to execute the Command Prompt command on Windows or access the network settings on your Mac computer.

Change public IP address

images 1 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 1 of How to Refresh IP Address

Find the device's current IP address. To know whether the final IP address was changed successfully, you need to know the device's current IP address.

images 2 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 2 of How to Refresh IP Address

Power off the device. This can be the computer, phone or tablet whose IP address you want to change.

images 3 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 3 of How to Refresh IP Address

Unplug the modem and router from the Internet and power source. This process is essentially a Wi-Fi reset.

If the modem and router are integrated 2 in 1, you just need to unplug all the wires of the device.

images 4 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 4 of How to Refresh IP Address

Wait 5 minutes. This is just enough time for your Internet service provider to allocate a new public IP address to you.

images 5 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 5 of How to Refresh IP Address

Plug the modem cable back in. The device will start to light up. All lights on the modem must be on or flashing before you continue.

images 6 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 6 of How to Refresh IP Address

Reconnect the router. After a few minutes, the light on the router will also begin to flash and then stay steady.

images 7 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 7 of How to Refresh IP Address

Power on the device. After restarting, your device will connect to the Internet, but you may need to select and connect to the network manually.

images 8 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 8 of How to Refresh IP Address

Open an Internet browser. We will use our regular Internet browser to view the IP address.

images 9 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 9 of How to Refresh IP Address

Enter "What is my IP address" into the browser. If the IP address displayed is different from the previous address, it means you have succeeded.

If the IP address does not change, you may need to power off the router for longer. Try leaving the router off overnight and turning it back on the next morning.

Change private IP address on Windows

images 10 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 10 of How to Refresh IP Address

Open the Start menu. You can click the Windows icon in the lower left corner of the screen or press the key ⊞ Win.

On Windows 8, move your mouse pointer to the upper right corner of the screen and click the magnifying glass icon.

images 11 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 11 of How to Refresh IP Address

Enter "Command Prompt" into Start. A list of search results will appear in the Start window.

images 12 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 12 of How to Refresh IP Address

Right-click the Command Prompt icon, which looks like a black window with white text inside. A menu will drop down.

images 13 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 13 of How to Refresh IP Address

Click Run as administrator . This option is near the bottom of the drop-down menu.

images 14 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 14 of How to Refresh IP Address

Click Yes when asked to confirm that you want to open Command Prompt.

images 15 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 15 of How to Refresh IP Address

Enter ipconfigand press ↵ Enter. This command will display the computer's current IP address information.

images 16 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 16 of How to Refresh IP Address

Look at the current IP address. The IP address will be to the right of the "IPv4" value; This series of numbers corresponds to the current device on the internal network.

images 17 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 17 of How to Refresh IP Address

Enter the command ipconfig /releaseand press ↵ Enter. The IP address will be released.

images 18 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 18 of How to Refresh IP Address

Enter ipconfig /renewand press ↵ Enter. This command will assign a new IP address to the device.

images 19 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 19 of How to Refresh IP Address

Observe the new IP address to the right of the "IPv4" value. If this number is different from the previous one, it means you have successfully released and renewed the device's internal IP address.

This process only works if the computer is connected to an Ethernet network with other devices. You will not be able to change your public IP address using this method.

Change private IP address on Mac

images 20 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 20 of How to Refresh IP Address

Click Apple Menu. This apple icon is in the upper left corner of the screen.

images 21 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 21 of How to Refresh IP Address

Click System Preferences . This option is in the Apple drop-down window.

images 22 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 22 of How to Refresh IP Address

Click Network . The Network window will open.

images 23 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 23 of How to Refresh IP Address

Select the current connection in the left pane of the Network window.

images 24 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 24 of How to Refresh IP Address

Click Advanced . Options in the lower right area of ​​the window.

images 25 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 25 of How to Refresh IP Address

Click the TCP/IP tab near the top of the Advanced window.

images 26 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 26 of How to Refresh IP Address

Look at the "IPv4 Address" value. This is the current IP address of your Mac computer.

images 27 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 27 of How to Refresh IP Address

Click Renew DHCP Lease . This option is to the right of the IP address area. The device's current IP address will be refreshed.

images 28 of How to Refresh IP Address
Images 28 of How to Refresh IP Address

Look at the new IP address to the right of the "IPv4" value. If this number is different from the previous one, it means you have successfully released and renewed the device's internal IP address.

This process only works if the computer is connected to an Ethernet network with other devices. You will not be able to change your public IP address using this method.

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