Fixed IP address

The IP address is, as it were, the zip code + house number combination of the computers in your home network. IP addresses are assigned by your modem or router via DHCP. This is not always the same number. Sometimes this makes other computers forget who is who. A fixed IP address can offer a solution

1. Which IP address do I specify?

For advanced users, IP addresses are a piece of cake, for beginners often a mystery. You can manually set the IP address of your computer(s). The IP addresses in a home network are different from the addresses on the Internet. The IP information that we are going to set up on our PC is based on the information provided by the DHCP server. click on Start, use the key combination Ctrl+R and enter the command cmd.exe from. Give the order ipconfig.exe followed by an Enter. Note the IP address, default gateway, and subnet mask. The IP address of our test system is 10.0.0.5. It is not convenient to set this IP address fixed, then the address may conflict with another computer that receives the same address from the DHCP server. Adjust the last number, keeping it below 254. The DHCP server is probably handing out numbers between 10.0.0.1 and 10.0.0.253. Usually something around 200 is a good choice if you are setting up a static IP address. We choose 10.0.0.200.

Use ipconfig.exe and note the IP information of your network adapter.

2. IP address in Windows 7

Open in the control panel Network and Internet / Network Center. below Active connections you will see the network connection you are using, for example LAN connection or Wireless network connection. Click on this, choose Characteristics and request the properties of Internet protocol version 4. The option Automatically assign an IP address is active. Change this to Using the following IP address, and enter the desired IP address (10.0.0.200 in our example). The subnet mask is filled in automatically. add Default Gateway and Preferred DNS Server the information you have received from the DHCP server. Leave Alternative DNS server empty. Confirm with OK and close the screens. Activate the option Validate settings during shutdown to check the internet connection. Start your browser and check if you can surf the internet. If you want to receive the data via DHCP server again, open the network settings again. Activate the automatic assignment for both IP address and DNS servers.

Open the settings of your network adapter and enter the correct IP information.

3. IP Address in Vista and XP

Adjusting the IP settings in XP/Vista is almost identical to Windows 7. The place where you find the settings is different. Open in Vista Start / Network Settings and click behind LAN connections on Show status. The IP settings can be found behind the button Characteristics. In XP, go to Control Panel, switch off the Classic view and click Network Connections. The existing network connections appear on the screen. Right click on the adapter whose IP settings you want to adjust and change the settings via Characteristics. The following applies to all operating systems: only set a static IP address if it is really necessary. Good reasons are a port forward or problems with network equipment that (sometimes) do not find each other. If you have a notebook and use the device wirelessly in other locations, the IP settings may vary. In this case, NetSetMan offers a solution. Allows you to set up multiple network profiles and switch easily.