Can My Internet Provider Change My IP Address?

There are many different reasons people might want to change their IP address. Maybe you are trying to evade some hackers, snoops, or other people who want to surveil you. No matter the reason, changing your IP address can help you protect your privacy online as well as hide who and where you are.

You can call your internet service provider (ISP) and ask them to change your IP address if you are not a tech-savvy person. You can also change your IP address yourself without having to contact your ISP as well.

Today, we are going to look at how you can change your IP address with and without the help of your internet service provider. Read on to see how easy it can be.

What is an IP Address?

An IP address is an Internet Protocol address that is used to identify a device that is connected to the internet or a local network. IP addresses allow information to be transferred between devices on a network.

Almost like a physical address, an IP address contains information about the device’s location. Looking up an IP address can give a pretty detailed idea of where a device is physically located by tracing what network the device is using that is connected to the internet.

Basically, a device connects to a network that is connected to the internet which then allows the device to start sending and receiving information over the internet. When you are home, your ISP is the network that is connected to the internet and, when you connect to the ISP, it assigns an IP address to your device.

All information that is sent and received over the internet first passes through your ISP. This IP address assigned to you by the ISP can change based on your connected network. For example, if you are home and browsing the internet on your phone through your home Wi-Fi setup, you will have an IP address through your ISP. But if you leave your house and start browsing the internet through your cellular data, you will have a different IP address because you are using a different network to access the internet.

How Do You Change Your IP Address?

Now that you know how IP addresses work let’s talk about how you can change your IP address in a few simple steps.

Unplug Your Router

One of the quickest and easiest ways to change your IP address is to unplug your router. Leave the router unplugged from any power for about five minutes. It could take a little longer, but after a few minutes, your ISP will have assigned you a new IP address.

Basically, unplugging the router makes it forget your device. When your device connects to the router again, it will assign it a new IP address since it will seem like a new device is connecting to it. If you have a separate router and modem, you may want to unplug both.

Use Your Device to Automatically Update Your IP Address

Another method of changing your IP address is to use your device.

On MacOS, click on the Apple logo in the top left of the screen. Then click on System Preferences, then Network, and Advanced. At the top of the next screen, click TCP/IP, then select the Renew DHCP Lease button on the right side of the window.

For an iOS device, go to Settings, tap Network, and choose the wireless network you’re currently on. Look for the IPv4 address section and tap Configure IP, then tap Automatic.

Using Windows 10 to change your IP address looks much more complicated than it really is. On your keyboard, push and hold the Windows key and R at the same time. When the Run dialog box opens, type in “cmd” and push Enter on the keyboard. This will bring up a command prompt that may look daunting. Type “ipconfig /release” at the command prompt and push Enter. A bunch of text will scroll on the screen. When that is done, type “ipconfig /renew” and push Enter. You can then close your command prompt.

If you are using an Android device, go to Settings, Connections, and then tap Wi-Fi. Select the network you are currently connected to. Tap the gear icon next to the network on the right. Go down to the bottom of the screen and select Forget (it looks like a little trashcan). Once you reconnect to your network, you will be assigned a new IP address.

You can use either of these options to change your IP address manually. It is super easy!

Conclusion

You can certainly call your ISP to have them change your IP address. Typically, it will be much quicker for you to use one of the methods above, and you will not have to wait on hold for a technical support agent.