Change Your IP Address to the One You Want in Just a Few Steps

Your IP address is like your computer’s networkable nameplate. This is the numerical identifier that your Internet connection uses to catalog your desktop or laptop in addition to all your mobile devices and other Internet-connected devices. By default, your Windows or MacOS computer assigns an IP address to your peripheral device. However, you also have the option to change this identifier along with some other network information.

This isn’t too complicated either. And to help you out, we’ve put together this guide on changing your IP address on Windows and macOS. Towards the end we also have a section on how to change your public IP address.

Change your private IP address in Windows 11

Your private IP address is the one that your local network – be it your home or your office – uses to identify your system. It’s probably a variation of 192.168.0.XXX, with the last few numbers being the main differentiator between your PC and your phone or other device connected to the network. You can find out your current IP address by searching for CMD in the Windows 11 search bar and selecting the corresponding result. Then type IPConfig and press Enter in the Command Prompt window. The numbers next to the IPv4 address are your IP address. It’s a good idea to write this down along with your subnet mask and default gateway as these are important if you want to change your IP address manually.

For more tips on finding out your IP address, we have a guide on how to do it.

If you don’t care about your IP address – just not this one – you can reset your router. It should reassign IP addresses to all connected devices once it comes back online. If this isn’t the case or you want a specific IP address instead, follow these steps.

Step 1: Click beginthen click Settings > Network & Internet.

Step 2: If you are using a Wi-Fi network, click Wireless Internet access > Manage known networks. If you are using an Ethernet connection, select Ethernet.

Step 3: Press that Edit button next to IP assignment.

Step 4: You should see two options: Edit the network IP settings And Edit the IP settings. Select one of them and then click Manual. Then turn it on IPv4.

Step 5: Enter your new address and then click Save.

We recommend sticking to a similar numbering convention to that automatically provided by your router. However, change the final number to any value between 0 and 255 (some routers may specify a different range, so stick to the lower end).

You will then need to enter your network’s subnet mask and default gateway, which we learned about earlier in this guide. Finally, set your preferred DNS server to the same value as your default gateway unless you plan to use a different DNS server. Then press OK And OK again to confirm your settings.

Step 6: To confirm that your IP address has changed, run IPConfig again in a Command Prompt window. If you’ve definitely changed your IP address, try loading a website to make sure you can still go online. If you can, congratulations, you’ve changed your IP address. If this is not possible, make sure you have entered the correct information. In the worst case scenario, you will reset everything to its original state and you can go online again.

Change your IP address in macOS

The process for changing your IP address is different on MacOS, but no more complicated than on Windows. To find out what your IP address is on macOS, you need to take similar steps. So we’ll go straight into the individual steps.

Step 1: To access your network settings on macOS, select the Apple logo in the top left corner and choose System settings from the drop down menu. Then click network icon in the left column.

Next, select your network – Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on your connection type.

Step 2: Press that details Then click the “Open” button. TCP/IP Tab.

Step 3: Click to open the drop-down menu next to the Configure IPv4 Possibility. Then click Manually. Now enter your new IP address. We recommend sticking to the numbering convention that your router originally assigned to you.

Step 4: When you are happy with your selection, confirm it and select Apply to complete the settings. Then check if you can connect to the Internet. If you can, congratulations – you’ve changed your IP address. If this isn’t possible, go back and check again to see if you missed a step along the way. If you get stuck, reset everything back to its original state. Once you’re back online, try again to see if you can identify the problem.

Change your public IP address

Whether you’re using a Windows or macOS computer, changing your public IP address is a little more complicated. Internet service providers usually determine the IP addresses that they distribute to their users, so the customer cannot change them themselves. Most offer a static IP service that allows you to choose your publicly accessible IP address, but they often charge a fee for this privilege. If you want to permanently change your public IP address, it’s best to contact your ISP and inquire about it.

If you want to change your IP address for privacy reasons, you can simply hide it instead. If you hide your IP address, you can also access websites from other countries, for example if you want to watch shows from a different version of Netflix. To learn how to hide your IP address, use a proxy, or use the Tor network, read our guide on how to do it.

A more permanent solution is to use a VPN service. We have a list of favorites that range from free to a few dollars a month, but all of them give you the ability to change your public IP address to one in a completely different country of your choice, with tons of server options to help you help – do it. While you don’t determine the numbers yourself, you get a completely new address, and that’s the real purpose.

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