IPconfig is the short form for Internet Protocol Configuration. It is an application from the computer OS that shows all the current Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). It also refreshes the Dynamic Host Configuration System (DHCS) along with the Domain Name System (DNS). Ipconfig allows the device to send and receive IP packets. This is broadly what an Ipconfig is. So, we will first discuss what is an IP Address, its importance, and how to perform Ipconfig in Android along with Windows.
IP Address
An Internet Protocol Address (IP Address) is an address/identification connected to a network that uses Internet Protocol for communication. This address is the combination of numbers and decimals arranged in a specific order. There are broadly 4 types of IP Addresses.
Global IP Address (or public IP address)
Global IP Address is the IP address of a device in your network, like how a device in your network is identified by the internet. It is network-specific which means that all of the devices connected to your network will share the same Global IP.
Private IP Address (or local IP address)
A private IP Address is how each device connected to a network identifies itself. Every device has a unique address in a network that cannot be shared. Though a device can have the same local IP address, but not within the same network but rather on a different private network.
Static IP Address
As the name suggests, this IP address remains the same as assigned. They do not change until and unless the whole structure of the network changes. Also, they are quite expensive.
Dynamic IP Address
And this one is a temporary type of IP address. Unlike static IPs, they are given the network provider and so they change pretty frequently. And since they are using any free IP which is not being used, they are cheaper.
Importance of IPconfig
The importance of ipconfig is that it helps us to determine the full details of TCP/IP configuration for all adapters. Tells us about the contents of the DNS, and also helps us to reset these contents. And also, it can be used to renew an adapter’s DHCP configuration.
Different commands of IPconfig
/all: it displays the full details of TCP/IP configuration for all adapters. It includes the physical address, DHCP enabled, IPv4 address, default gateway, DHCP server, DNS servers, link-local IPv6 address and the lease obtained.
/release: it hides the IP address of all the adapters, or we can say that it does not show any details related to the adapters. It can also be used to remove any specific adapter also.
/renew: it helps us in renewing the DHCP configuration of all the adapters. Here also if a particular adapter is specified, then only that one will get its configuration renewed.
/displaydns: it quickly translates the domain names to their correct IP address. Every computer creates a local cache of all the DNS records. This command will show every DNS record which is present in the cache. It contains the record’s name, record type, time to live, date length, section, and the actual value of the record.
/flushdns: this command flushes and resets the cache data from the DNS records. All the useless or outdated cache can be cleared using this command. Here also we can flush partial data from the cache, and there is no need for flushing the whole thing.
/registerdns: it allows us to register the IP address and DNS server. Also, when a DNS gets failed, this command helps in troubleshooting it.
IPconfig for windows
To run Ipconfig in your windows device, we have to use the command prompt. Since the command prompt is the application where all the system-related data can be viewed and changed. So, to run Ipconfig, we have to first open the command prompt. To do that we have to click on the start menu and type cmd in the search bar and press enter. Or we can right-click on the windows button and click on the command prompt there. We can also open the command prompt by using the run application. Open the run application and type cmd and press enter (all variations are due to the variation in the windows). Then after opening the command prompt, you have to type ipconfig /all and press enter.
This will show all the details related to the network to which you are connected. Firstly it will show all the kinds of possible connections that the device can form. In that, most of them will be empty and only the connections which are made will have the details. Then the connection description shows what kind of connection is established, either through ethernet or wireless. After this will be the physical address of the device. Then it will show that is the DHCP and the autoconfiguration are enabled or not. Then it will show the IPv6 address, along with the temporary IPv6 address and Link-Local IPv6 address. This is the communication protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on networks.
This is followed by the IPv4 Address which is the real IP address of the network. Then the other details such as the subnet mask, lease obtained, and lease expiry date and time. Then there is the default gateway, DHCP server along with DHCPv6 IAID and DHCPv6 Client DUID. And finally the DNS servers. All these details of all the connections which formed at the moment will be displayed. And rest of the slots will be empty.
IPconfig for Android
Since there is no software like a command prompt in the device, therefore we can’t access all these ipconfig-related details at once. We can see the details of a network to which you are connected through wifi only. Also, it will not be as detailed as a computer rather only the IP address and some related information will only be present.
There are mainly 2 methods for accessing IP Address in an Android
Method 1. Using the wifi settings
To access these details, you have to first open the settings app. And you have to open the network settings or connections (Samsung). Then tap on Wi-Fi, if not connected to the network, select the network of which you want to know the IP Address. Then tap on the options icon, on the connection, or additional settings. You’ll find your IP Address there on the new screen which opens. Then click on Advanced.
The details visible will be your network speed, what kind of security you are using (like WPA2 PSK), and the IP Address. There will also be some additional data that is the same as the IP address which is present there without any specification. Then in the advanced settings, you’ll find the IP Settings, Proxy Settings, and MAC Address along with its type. (All of the details present here are done on a Samsung mobile phone, so the contents’ name or structure may vary a little).
Method 2. Using other apps or websites
There are innumerable apps available on the internet along with websites that can help you in getting your IP address information. and not only these websites, but even the VPN (Virtual Private Network) is also capable of getting information regarding the IP address. Even though using other apps for getting the IP address sounds easy, the risk increases. Using a trusted and paid VPN to get this information is reliable and better, as there is no chance of the IP address getting leaked anywhere.
Read Also: Android connected to Wi-Fi but no internet
How can we change the IP address of an Android
To change we need to first find the IP address to change to. There are many means to choose an IP address, and you can even choose a free IP address. Then you have to open your device’s settings. In that open the network settings or connections (Samsung). Then tap on Wi-Fi, and select which network’s IP address is to be changed. Then tap on the options icon or on modify, and then select the advanced settings. After this scroll down and you’ll see DHCP, tap on it and make it static. After this there will be a popup, you’ll have to manually set those details. You have to replace the IP address with the static IP address. Then enter the gateway IP, and finally the IP of the DNS servers. You may leave the other fields as default and then tap on Save.
Now after doing this, your IP address is changed to this static IP, and it will remain as it is even after a reboot. You can easily undo this to your original by just following the above-mentioned steps until the Advanced settings. After this change back the IP settings to DHCP from static. And all the data which you manually configured will be reverted to how it originally was.
Conclusion
Here in this article, we first discussed what is an IP Address, and then the different types of IP addresses. Then you also saw the importance of Ipconfig and some of its most used commands. Then how to perform Ipconfig in windows, and then finally how can we perform Ipconfig on an android device. There mainly are 2 methods to know your IP Address, and both of them have their own significance.
FAQs
Yes, we can hide our IP Address by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN hides your IP address and then makes the network redirect it to some remote servers. This means that the network provider and other third-party apps cannot access our data. Along with this, it also encrypts our data. So when using public wifi, a VPN helps in hiding your device information from other users and the network. Also when opening some servers which aren’t allowed in your region, can be surfed. The VPN will just hide your location data, and the server will not get to know that you are from a restricted area and will let you surf. A VPN has many advantages like increased security and stuff, it makes the network a little slow but is overall a good choice to use.
Yes, mobile data has its own different IP address, which is different from the wifi. To check this IP address, you have to first open the settings. Then you have to scroll down till the end and tap on About Phone. Then tap on Status Information. Your IP address will be present there.
No, An IP address is supposed to be unique for every network, which is why they can’t be the same. Due to the use of static IP, it may happen sometimes that 2 devices are having the same IP address. This results in the network being confused by the duplicate IP address, which is often called IP Conflict. Due to this the network cant use either one of them correctly and the connection disrupts until one of the IP addresses changes.
Yes, changing your IP Address has many advantages, and one of the main advantages is that we can protect our online privacy. Changing the IP address will hide the location. Since the location details are hidden, it hides our activity from our internet service provider along with the websites which use web tracking. It also prevents our data from getting hacked. Also if our location is hidden we can get access to those servers which restricts the user from a certain area to enter. And if there is a problem in the connection getting reloaded, this will also be solved by changing the IP. There may be IP conflicts when using static IP, but as a whole, it is better to change the IP.
it is better to use the wifi settings to see your IP address always. Using other apps or websites to check these details may result in the misuse of this sensitive data. Even though there may be many secure websites, there will still be a doubt that you might open a website that shares this data with someone else. While using the wifi settings eliminates all the possibility of this data being leaked.
No, you shouldn’t tell your IP address or any other related data to anyone. Since we know that our IP address contains the data of our location and other stuff as well. If this data reaches some wrong hands, it can always be misused. Anyone can use your IP address to track your online activity, and you will always be at risk of getting watched.