How Can I Change My IP Address?

Have you ever run into this situation: while connected to a local network (wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi), your computer shows a yellow warning icon and says “No Internet access” in the bottom-right corner? Or perhaps your network administrator has limited your bandwidth or blocked certain websites. In some cases, these restrictions may be applied based on your device’s IP address. If you want to troubleshoot the issue or work around the limitation, you may need to change your IP address. Below are a few common methods.

Important: There are two types of IP addresses

• Private IP (LAN IP): For example, 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x. This is usually assigned to your computer/phone by your router via DHCP.
• Public IP (Internet-facing IP): This is the address websites see. It is usually on your router’s WAN side or provided by your ISP (often through NAT).

The methods below mainly change your private (LAN) IP. If you want the IP address that websites see to change, you typically need a VPN/proxy or help from your ISP.

1. Click the network icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar and open your network settings (the exact path may vary by Windows version).

2. Open the properties/status page for the network adapter you’re currently using (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).

3. Find and open Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) settings.

4. You can choose “Obtain an IP address automatically (DHCP)” (recommended in most cases), or “Use the following IP address” to set it manually (you’ll need to fill in the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS).

In most cases, simply choosing “Obtain an IP address automatically” is enough. Only choose “Use the following IP address” if your network administrator requires a fixed IP, or if you truly need a static LAN address (for example, LAN sharing, port forwarding, or assigning a fixed IP to a printer/server).

Note: When using DHCP, your computer usually receives a dynamic private IP from your router (not a public IP). Your public IP is typically assigned to your router by your ISP.

Please refer to your router’s manual or the sticker on the device for the admin address, username, and password.

1. Open any browser (Safari/Edge/Chrome/Firefox, etc.) and go to your router’s admin address (for example, 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1).

2. Enter the username and password to sign in to the router admin panel.

3. In the menu, look for options such as LAN / Local Network / LAN Settings or similar (menu names vary by brand/model).

4. Change the router’s LAN IP address and save the settings.

Note: This usually changes your router’s LAN IP / admin address (local network settings) and does not necessarily change your public IP.

If your goal is simply to access websites (such as forums or other online services), you can use a proxy or a VPN so that websites see a different IP address. Learn more: How to Use a Free Proxy, How to Use a Paid Proxy

If you want to change your public IP, you can contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and ask whether they can renew or change it (policies vary by provider).