How To Change Ip Address On Windows 8

How to change your IP address — Changing your IP accost is piece of cake, safe and legal.
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Don't worry. Changing your IP accost is easy, even if you've never washed it before. It'due south likewise perfectly safe and -- as long as yous're not using information technology to break other laws -- it'southward legal. Your reckoner and phone take several types of IP addresses (short for net protocol, a unique serial of numbers that identify your specific device with your online browsing), only we'll focus on the blazon ordinarily changed to protect your privacy equally yous scan, and those which make you lot announced like you're in a different state.

There are iv simple means to modify your IP accost in nether 5 minutes. Jumping backside a proxy server or a VPN is the best way to not only temporarily change your IP address, but likewise protect your privacy. If you merely want to change your IP address without the additional privacy boost, you can either enter your preferred IP manually, or you can simply force your device to retrieve a new 1 automatically.

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Keep in mind, changing your IP address volition temporarily disrupt whatsoever internet-connected services or programs yous're using on your device. There's no harm washed, only it's going to take the same effect as if y'all'd momentarily lost your Wi-Fi.

Your Spotify might hiccup. Media streaming services will have a momentary brain freeze. If y'all're sending or receiving files, you may need to beginning over. And you might accept to log back in to whatsoever secure site you're currently using.

If you're tooling around with IP address changes, yous might have another questions. Here are two of the near common questions I've been asked.

Editors' annotation, Feb. 9, 2022: The VPN industry has undergone significant change in the past few months, with all three of our pinnacle VPN choices announcing major changes in corporate ownership. In Dec, ExpressVPN appear that it had officially joined Kape Technologies, a company that already owns several other VPNs and has raised privacy concerns in the past. In February, NordVPN and Surfshark appear the two companies were merging, though they'll continue to operate autonomously. Nosotros're in the procedure of reevaluating all of our peak picks in calorie-free of these changes. We volition update our reviews and, if necessary, our rankings to account for this new competitive landscape.

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Why should I consider irresolute my IP address?

Routinely irresolute your external, or public IP address, tin can help you lot amend your overall security and browsing privacy. At that place are other reasons, too.

If you've merely installed a new home router, you may demand to reconfigure your network with a quick IP alter. One common problem among domicile routers is that they sometimes requite devices the wrong IP accost, so changing your IP manually can solve those glitches.

If you want to admission a state'southward catalog of streaming media services when you lot're outside of that land for whatsoever reason, irresolute your IP to one based in the right land can get yous the catalog you're looking for. Likewise, if you're a gamer looking to lower your lag, changing your IP via a gaming proxy server can assist improve performance. One dandy tech trick for 2d-language learners is to use an IP accost based in some other country to generate search results and local publications written in the local language.

Is it even legal to alter your IP address?

Yeah, it's legal to change your IP address in the US. People change their IP addresses routinely when facing direct attacks on their online security, when testing a website before it goes live, or when they simply prefer to protect their privacy. Plain, this FAQ is in no fashion offering legal advice and y'all should consult a licensed attorney for specific questions, simply the legal boundaries on IP accost changes usually start with what you change your IP to, and what y'all do with that new IP address.

If you've inverse your IP to impersonate an private or a business concern -- oftentimes called IP spoofing -- you lot could be running afoul of the Usa Estimator Fraud and Abuse Act. You might also run into trouble if you're irresolute your IP address to access a website you've been banned from. IP spoofing is also a tool used by some cybercriminals to perform a handful of well-known attacks, almost normally those related to identity theft and those aimed at crippling websites with organized distributed denial of service battery.

Pick 1: Change your IP address with a VPN or proxy server

You lot can use a VPN to modify your IP accost.

Sarah Tew/CNET

When you apply any of the virtual private networks we've reviewed in our directory, the service will automatically make yous announced as though y'all have a different IP address originating from whatever country you select. Literally just open your VPN app and connect to any urban center other than your current one -- in less than xxx seconds, you lot've changed your IP so it appears to be from wherever you lot chose.

Browser-based VPNs and proxies are much more than lightweight than standalone VPN apps. There are some key privacy differences that I've detailed elsewhere, only when you use a proxy, it also changes your visible IP accost. Chrome, Firefox and Brave Browser all have their own versions of proxies and browser-based VPNs that you tin endeavour for yourself.

Setting up a VPN on your iPhone or Android device is as easy as installing whatever other app on your telephone, and I've got a step-past-stride guide in case you'd like to see how to practise it. If you're gaming from a console, I've also got a quick walkthrough for you on setting upward a VPN on an Xbox along with a listing of the ones that performed best in my tests.

If you've never toyed with VPNs simply are considering one, I've got the Cliff's Notes version of how to choice the right 1, which you lot might find helpful. Whatever you do, but avert free VPNs. Seriously not worth the malware gamble. Instead, pivot to the cheapest ones that I've exam-driven for y'all.

Option two: Change your IP address by unplugging the router

Changing your IP accost is as easy as unplugging your router.
Ry Crist/CNET

The easiest and quickest fashion to get a new IP accost is to meet what your IP address is via an IP-checking site, then walk over to your router and unplug it for at to the lowest degree five minutes. It may have several minutes longer, depending on how long your Internet service provider normally takes to renew IP addresses in general. Once you plug it back in, refresh the website to make sure your IP address has changed.

Essentially, what y'all're trying to do is make the IP-assigning role of your router "forget" your device so that it treats your device like a newcomer and gives information technology a new address. This isn't foolproof, however. Sometimes information technology takes multiple tries, and in some cases yous may have to leave the router off overnight. If you have a router that'south divide from your modem (most are a combination device these days) you may need to unplug the modem and router, exit them off for v minutes or so, then commencement ability the modem on, followed by the router.

But getting off the couch is overrated.

Pick 3: Automatically update your IP address on Mac, iOS, Windows and Android

90-iphone-12-pro-max — Changing your IP address will better protect your browsing.
Patrick Holland/CNET

Hither's how to do this on Mac, iOS, Windows and Android:

MacOS: Click your Apple tree icon in the top left corner of your screen, and click Organisation Preferences and then Network so Advanced. At the top of the next screen, click TCP/IP, then click the Renew DHCP Lease push on the right side of the window.

iOS: Go to Settings, tap Network and choose the wireless network yous're currently on. Under the IPv4 accost section, tap Configure IP then Automatic.

Windows 10: Printing the Win+R keys at the same time. This opens the Run box dialog. Type cmd, then striking Enter on your keyboard. This opens the command prompt.

For those who've never seen a Windows control prompt before: This is the function where you will either be immediately terrified something is about to get broken, or you volition of a sudden feel like you're virtually to do something extremely cool. Do not panic; neither of those things is going to happen. The magic black box has that issue on everyone their first time.

Type ipconfig /release (including the space) into the command prompt and hit Enter. Some text will zoom by. When information technology stops, type ipconfig /renew and hit Enter again. And then close your command prompt. Yous're done.

Android: Become to Settings, tap Connections then tap Wi-Fi. From here, tap on the network you lot're currently connected to. Tap the gear-shaped icon to the right of the network. Your IP accost will be displayed here, but go to the bottom of the screen and -- later making sure you've got your Wi-Fi password handy -- tap Forget (it'due south the trash icon in the lesser-right corner). Your phone volition forget the Wi-Fi network and be disconnected. Only reconnect to your network, and you should be issued a new IP address.

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Option 4: Manually change your IP address

Here's what to practise if you've already got a new IP address that y'all know y'all desire to use.

MacOS: Get to System Preferences and click Network. Click Network Connection, then click Configure IPv4. Select Manually and blazon in whatever IP you've chosen.

iOS: Become to Settings, tap Wi-Fi, then Network. Under the IPv4 accost section, tap Configure IP. Manually type in whatever IP address yous're trying to employ.

Windows: Make sure you're working from your Ambassador account and click Start, then become to Control Panel. From hither, click Network Connection, and so click on your local area connection. Next, click Properties, then click TCP/IP. From here, you lot can type your new IP address in manually.

Android: Go to Settings, tap Connections and then tap Wi-Fi. From here, tap on the network you lot're currently continued to. Tap the gear-shaped icon to the right of the network. Your IP address will exist displayed hither, but go to the bottom of the screen and tap Advanced, so tap IP Settings. Select Static. The next screen volition let yous manually type in any IP address you've chosen.

For more, check out everything to know nearly the Tor browser, iii browser-based VPNs to attempt, and the browser privacy settings you should change right away.