An IP address identifies a device on a network, and two different addresses are involved in most offices and homes. The local IP is assigned by your router and usually starts with 192.168 or 10. The public IP belongs to your internet connection, is issued by your provider, and is what websites see. Changing one leaves the other untouched, so the first step is deciding which address your task involves. This guide covers both, from router restarts to a proxy that lets you choose where the address is.
Which address does the task involve?
| Task | Address to change | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Clearing an address clash or connection fault on the office network | Local | Renew the DHCP lease or set a static address |
| Getting a different address from your provider | Public | Restart the modem |
| Viewing sites as a visitor in another market | Public, in a chosen location | A proxy |
Record your current addresses
Start by writing down both addresses. Our my IP lookup tool shows the public one, with its approximate location and the network it belongs to; the local one is in your operating system's network settings. With that baseline recorded, a change is simple to prove.
Restarting the modem for a new public IP
On many home and small-office lines the public IP is dynamic, which means the provider can hand out a different one. Power-cycling the modem is the standard way to ask for it:
- Disconnect the modem or router from the power supply.
- Leave it off for at least 5 minutes, so the provider's lease can expire.
- Reconnect the power and let the line come back up.
- Check our my IP tool for a new public address.
It does not always work. A provider may hold a customer on one IP for days, or assign a static address that no restart will move. And releasing the DHCP lease on a computer changes only the local IP, so it is no help for the public one.
Windows: renew or fix the local address
On Windows 11, a new or fixed local address is set like this:
- Go to Settings > Network & internet.
- Open Hardware properties for the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.
- Under IP assignment, choose Edit. Automatic (DHCP) takes an address from the router, while Manual lets you set a static local IP.
Prefer the command line? These two Command Prompt commands give up the current lease and request a new one:
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renewmacOS: renew or fix the local address
- Go to System Settings > Network.
- Pick the connection and click Details.
- Open the TCP/IP tab.
- Use Renew DHCP Lease for a new address, or change Configure IPv4 to Manually to fix one in place.
Phones and tablets
- Android: in Settings > Network & internet > Internet, tap the gear icon next to the Wi-Fi network, then IP settings, and pick Static for a fixed local address.
- iPhone and iPad: open Settings > Wi-Fi, choose the info (i) button for the network and go to Configure IP.
- Mobile data: turning Airplane Mode on and back off often gets a new public IP from the carrier.
Choosing the address: route through a proxy
A modem restart leaves the result to the provider. A proxy hands the decision to you: choose the country or city, change the address whenever the work requires, and let websites see the proxy's IP in place of yours.
What you receive with an order is a host:port endpoint and a login. Many residential and mobile endpoints change their exit address by themselves, either with every request or after a set interval. Pick the type to suit the job:
- Datacenter proxies: bulk and speed-sensitive work, where it does not matter what kind of network the IP belongs to.
- Residential proxies: when the job calls for a household broadband address.
- Mobile proxies: carrier IPs that change over time without any action from you.
- Premium residential proxies: demanding, sensitive sites where standard pools see more failed requests.
Setting the proxy in a browser or the operating system
| Where | Path to the proxy fields |
|---|---|
| Windows | Settings > Network & internet > Proxy; switch on Use a proxy server, then add the host and port |
| Mac | System Settings > Network > Details > Proxies |
| Firefox only | Settings > Network Settings, separate from the operating system |
The username and password are requested the first time a connection goes through.
Scripts can confirm the result too. The one below sends a single request through the proxy and prints what the destination reports as your IP:
import requests
proxies = {
"http": "http://USER:PASS@HOST:PORT",
"https": "http://USER:PASS@HOST:PORT",
}
r = requests.get("https://api.ipify.org?format=json", proxies=proxies, timeout=20)
print(r.json()) # shows the proxy exit IP, not yoursPoint it at a rotating endpoint and run it twice: two different addresses confirm the rotation. A browser set to the same proxy should show the matching address in the my IP tool.
Prove the new address
Check every change before relying on it. Hold the new reading from my IP against your baseline. Where a VPN or proxy is part of the setup and privacy matters, add the DNS leak test. Leaking DNS undoes half the point of a new address.
Which route for which job
Match the effort to the need. A one-off fault is solved by a DHCP renewal or a modem restart. Work the team repeats, needs to control, or spreads across many requests is better served by a proxy, which behaves predictably where a restart does not. The proxy line-up and pricing show which plan fits.
Nobody changes an IP for its own sake: the point is privacy, a view of another market, or scale. Start from a recorded baseline, use the method that suits the task, and confirm the outcome before the team builds on it.
