Set a static IP address

By Ed Bott

By default, most Windows PCs pick up an IP address from a DHCP server. In homes and small offices, the task of assigning IP addresses is typically handled by a router or gateway device that doles out those addresses from a pool in one of the private IP ranges, such as 192.168.1.x or 10.0.0.x.

That's convenient on a small network, where DHCP means you have one fewer thing to manage. But it also means that a device can get a new IP address assigned to it without warning. It's sometimes important to assign an IP address to a device and have it stick, such as when you're sharing a printer that's directly attached to a networked PC.

To assign a static IPv4 address, open Network And Sharing Center and click Change Adapter Settings. Right-click the connection you want to modify and then click Properties. In the list at the bottom of the Networking tab, double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 and then select Use The Following IP Address. Enter your preferred IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers. Then click OK to save the new settings.

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