How To Change Your IP Address
How do I change my IP? There are MANY methods to change your IP. Some methods will work for you but may not work for someone else and vice versa.
If your IP is static, then you CAN’T change it without contacting your ISP.
If you have a long lease time (explained in this article) on your IP then you won’t be able to change your IP without cloning your MAC address, which I’ll explain later in this article.
It definitely helps if you know how the IP is being assigned to you.
You can read our DHCP definition to get a better understanding.
What is an IP lease time? IP lease time is the amount of time your ISP determines you’ll be assigned a particular IP. Some IP lease times are just a few days and other IP lease times could be set for a year or more. This setting is completely up to your ISP.
One of the easier methods to change your IP is to turn off your modem/router/computer overnight. Then turn it back on the following morning. This method WILL NOT work if your ISP has a long lease time set for your IP.
The following method will ONLY work if your computer is being assigned your external IP and not a router.
How to determine if your computer is being assigned the external IP
If your connection is direct to your computer and your computer gets the public IP and not a router, you can try this:
For Windows 2000, XP, and 2003
1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Type in cmd and hit ok (this opens a Command Prompt)
4. Type ipconfig /release and hit enter
5. Click Start, Control Panel, and open Network Connections
6. Find and Right click on