In this video we demonstrate how using a terminal command in Windows. You can quickly release and renew the network settings on your computer. Something that is very useful to know if you have to setup or reconfigure the DHCP server on your network.
Note: This command will work with all versions of Windows, and is recognised by the Command Prompt, Power Shell and Windows Terminal. The names PowerShell and Windows Terminal are now used interchangeably, but basically refer to the same thing. It’s also worth noting, that you should not need to open a Windows Terminal with administrators privileges in order to run this command.
Within a typical home network a range of IP addresses will be issued to devices, using something called DHCP, or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. On a home network the DHCP server can usually be found running from a Router. The DHCP server can assign up to 254 IP addresses to devices that have been connected to your home network. Usually the IP address that DHCP will issue, will be a number anywhere between 192.168.xxx.2 and 192.168.xxx.255.
- From the Windows desktop, click on Search.
- In the Search field type Terminal.
- Within the search results you will find listed Terminal.
- Open a new Terminal window.
- At the flashing insertion point, type:
ipconfig /release
- When we press Enter a report will display all of the network connections on our computer, along with their setting which will now be clear.
- Now type:
ipconfig /renew
- By pressing Enter, a report will list your network adapters along with their refreshed settings.
Note: In our example the network settings for our computer did not change. So while our computer did return its leased IP address to our DHCP server. As the DHCP server, had not yet reissued the IP address to a different device. When we request an IP address, DHCP simply reissue the previous network settings our computer used.
- To gracefully close the Terminal window type:
exit
- After pressing Enter on your keyboard the Command Prompt window will close.
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