How to change my IP address?

How to change my IP address? The Internet Protocol (IP) address of a computer on a network is the unique address (at that point in time) that a computer is identified by in a network. It is also the layer that sits atop the TCP/IP layer so that packets can be sent along to this address.

There are two types of IP addresses:-

• Static IP: This IP address is assigned by the network solely for a computer and does not change every time the computer is connected to the network. This is to ensure same settings are applied in a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN) or even a Personal Area Network (PAN). These settings remain intact and thus ensure that the computer gets access to all the data it needs very fast. This type of IP address allocation is used by expensive broadband customers, or by express desire.
• Dynamic IP: This IP address is allocated by the network router by using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). This protocol dynamically allocates an IP address to the computer when it connects to the network, from a pool of IP addresses. This kind of allocation is used in most broadband services as this reduces costs for the Internet Service Providers (ISP’s). Thus the IP address of the computer changes every time it connects to the host servers.

To change the IP address of a computer, it is necessary to know what kind of IP address the computer is assigned to and which IP address indeed that computer should change. To change the LAN IP address, one must know what the LAN connection’s name is, as well as the original router settings etc.

Change IP Address

The steps to be followed for Windows XP are:-

• Open Control Panel from the Start Menu. On Microsoft Windows systems, this is the place where all the settings of the computer reside and many changes can be made here.
• Click on Network Connections – the place for all internet connections’ settings to reside and new connections can be made and existing connections can be edited or deleted.
• Double Click on the LAN connection. One must know the LAN connection’s name. Contact the system administrator for detail.
• A Menu will pop up with a lot of options. Click on the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) option and click on Properties.
• Write down these settings somewhere and then change the IP address of the system.