How many times have you seen your IT guy use the IPConfig /flushdns command to magically make Internet problems disappear? That's no coincidence because Microsoft ships Windows with IPConfig, a TCP/IP utility for viewing and managing your computer's network problems via the command line. It can show you the network information at a glance along with a detailed report if needed. You can get a new IP assigned, view and flush DNS, among other things. Let's explore and learn how to run all IPConfig commands in Windows using the tutorials we have prepared for you.
What is IPConfig?
Think of IPConfig as a way to manage how your computer connects to the Internet and other networks. IPConfig (Internet Protocol Configuration) is a command line utility application program used to display/manage the IP addresses assigned to your computer.
What is IPConfig?How to use IPConfigHow to use IPConfig /allWhat are the parameters of IPConfig?Release and renew IP address via IPConfig parameterRelease IP address via IPConfig /Release ParameterRenew IP address via IPConfig /Renew ParameterView DNS Cache with IPConfig CommandHow to Clear DNS Cache in Windows with IPConfig Command
You can perform more functions by adding certain commands to it. This application has been available since Windows 98 (before XP and 7) and is now available on Windows 11, providing the same utility with a few additional features. You can run it in Terminal and PowerShell on Windows. Command Prompt aka Terminal (since Windows 10) and PowerShell are pre-installed in Windows. You can open them via the run prompt or Start menu search.
How to use IPConfig
We will learn how to use the IPConfig program in Terminal. You can use PowerShell for the same thing and it will give you the same functionalities.
- Go to Start menu search and type cmd or command prompt.
Alternate way: Press Ctrl + R to open the run prompt and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter after typing CMD in the box.2. Right-click on the first result and select Run as administrator to open a command prompt with administrator privileges.
- Now type the following command and press ENTER.P.S. – It does not matter the case of the letter. The command can be in uppercase, lowercase, or even a combination of both.
- You will see your network information here. It will include your virtual machine's network adapter, wireless, and wired (optional) information.
The information listed may seem difficult to understand if you are not a regular user of this tool. Let us break it down and help you understand.
IPv4 Address – This is the IP address of your computer. Subnet Mask – Helps split your network into two parts for efficiency, speed, and security. Default Gateway – Here you act as an intermediary between your computer and the Internet through the router.
How to use IPConfig /all
IPConfig as a standalone command briefly displays the information of the network adapters. You can use IPConfig/all detailed accounts of the same. Here's how to use it to view extension information.
We will first clear the previously requested information by pressing enter after typing cls.
(Video) Basic Networking Commands (Video 1) IPConfig Explained Windows 10 - How to Find IP AddressWhen the screen is empty, type the following command.
A detailed list of information will appear in the command prompt. Each network adapter will have separate details under the heading.
Some of these terms you should know:
Hostname: This is the name of your computer that appears to other computers on a network. Physical Address: This is the MAC address, which is the unique address of the computer for use on a network or on the Internet. No two MAC addresses can be the same. DHCP enabled: This means that the IP address your network connection uses is DHCP, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (between DHCP and Static IP address), and will change over time. DNS servers: A server that your computer uses to access a website online. A DNS server is like the internet phone book that knows the numbers of all the websites. When you type a website address, it becomes an IP address of the website you want to connect to.
What are the IPConfig parameters?
IPConfig isn't just a way to view network adapter information. It is capable of many important functions that help keep your Internet and network adapters running smoothly. You can use IPConfig /? to find all the IPConfig commands available to you. This is how you do it. Use cls to clear the screen before continuing if the screen is full of previously requested information.
- Type the following command and press ENTER.
- All IPConfig commands will appear on the screen. You will see all the parameters available to use using the IPConfig command.
The thing to remember is that these commands perform the same function. You can continue to use IPConfig and IPConfig /all to avoid writing longer parameter commands.
Release and renew the IP address via the IPConfig parameter
Release IP address via IPConfig/Release Parameter
IP addresses are not permanent when you are using a DHCP server (because the other way is static IP which isn't cheap), which assigns you an IP for a short period of time. The expiration period is usually after 24 hours and it normally renews itself for a new IP address. It may not automatically renew after its expiration for reasons such as:
You installed a new router or modem You had a power outage You reconfigured the local network Move your computer to a different location adding a new network requirement to the mix.
In either case, you can manually release the IP address via the IPConfig /Release parameter. This is how you can do it via Command Prompt as follows.
- Open Command Prompt and press ENTER after typing the following parameter command.
Note: You can release the IP address of a specific adapter by typing ipconfig /release "adapter name". Just replace the adapter name with the name of your adapter.2. Statements with "No operation can be..." will appear for all your adapters. Your Internet will also stop working when the IP addresses of all network adapters are released.
Renew IP address via IPConfig/Renew Parameter
We will renew the IP address using IPConfig /renew, which will assign new IPs to all network adapters.3. Type the following command and press ENTER to renew the IP address.
Note: You can renew the IP address of a specific adapter by typing ipconfig /renew "adapter name". Just replace the adapter name with the name of your adapter.4. All network adapters will get a new IP address and you will be able to use the Internet like any other normal day.
View DNS cache with the IPConfig command
DNS, or Domain Name System, is a system that allows people to access websites and other online resources using easy-to-remember names instead of numerical IP addresses. Think of DNS as a kind of "phone book" for the Internet. Just like you can look up a person's phone number in a phone book by name, DNS allows you to look up a website's IP address by its domain name. This makes it much easier for people to browse the Internet, as it is much easier to remember a name like "google.com" than it is to remember a series of numbers like "172.217.16.46". Similarly, the DNS cache is a temporary database that stores DNS search results on your computer. When you visit a website or use any other service that requires DNS resolution, your computer will first check the DNS cache to see if it has a recent record for the domain name you're trying to access. IP address to connect to the website or service, which can speed up the domain name resolution process. When the DNS cache does not contain a record for the domain name, your computer will send a request to a DNS server to look up the IP address. Let's look at the DNS cache using the IPConfig command via the command prompt.
Open the command prompt, type the following command, and press ENTER.
You will see the DNS cache of different websites and apps here.
(Video) [025] Using the ipconfig command in the Windows 10 Command Prompt
How to clear the DNS cache in Windows with the IPConfig command
Clearing your DNS cache can help you in more ways than you might think. One reason to clear the DNS cache is to fix website loading errors. If you experience errors when trying to load a particular website, clearing the DNS cache may help resolve the issue. You can also speed up website loading by clearing out the clutter of DNS records. This can also improve your privacy, as other sites you visit can see your DNS cache. They can see the sites you visited previously. Sometimes certain sites won't load while your internet is working fine. Clearing the DNS cache may help resolve the issue. This is how you can clear the DNS cache with the IPConfig parameter.
- It will take 2-4 seconds and your DNS will be cleared with the message "DNS resolver cache flushed successfully".
Note: In addition to the computer, Google Chrome maintains its own DNS cache that can be cleared to fully resolve any issues. On the other hand, Mozilla Firefox stores the DNS cache in RAM, so it is cleared when you close the browser. I'll pass it on to you This is how to run all IPConfig commands on a Windows PC. You can clear the DNS cache, and release and renew IP addresses, among half a dozen other things using IPConfig parameters. Keep clearing your DNS cache from time to time and you won't have network problems on the computer. is wirelessly connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, then consider turning it off periodically to reset the network cache.
FAQs
Cmd Ipconfig How to run all Ipconfig commands in Windows? ›
Right click the windows button in the lower left of your screen. Select command prompt from the list. A black and white window will open where you will type ipconfig /all and press enter.
How do I run ipconfig command in Windows? ›The ipconfig command
Go to "Start > Run" and type " cmd " (no quotes), then select "OK" Type " ipconfig /release " (no quotes) and press "Enter" Once the prompt returns, type " ipconfig /renew " (no quotes), then hit "Enter,"
On Windows or macOS type ipconfig or on Linux type ifconfig. Press return. Note down the subnet mask, the default gateway, and your own computer's IPv4 address. Enter the command arp -a to get a list of all other IP addresses active on your network.
What is ipconfig and ipconfig all? ›ipconfig/all: It gives the full configuration of the system. ipconfig/registerdns: This command refreshes all DHCP leases and reregisters the DNS names. ipconfig/displaydns: It displays the information that is stored in the DNS Resolver cache. It has all the DNS information that has been used earlier.
How to see all IP addresses in Windows cmd? ›- From the desktop, navigate through; Start > Run> type "cmd.exe". A command prompt window will appear.
- At the prompt, type "ipconfig /all". All IP information for all network adapters in use by Windows will be displayed.
Type CMD in the search box and click Run as Administrator from the menu. Enter the net view command to view devices connected to your network You will then see a list of devices connected to your network in the output.
What is netstat command in cmd? ›The netstat command generates displays that show network status and protocol statistics. You can display the status of TCP and UDP endpoints in table format, routing table information, and interface information. netstat displays various types of network data depending on the command line option selected.
How do I see all network connections? ›Select Settings > Network & internet. The status of your network connection will appear at the top. Windows 10 lets you quickly check your network connection status. And if you're having trouble with your connection, you can run the Network troubleshooter to try and fix it.
How can I get a list of all network connections? ›For a quick overview of active network connections, a simple command in PowerShell: Get-NetTCPConnection or the netstat command prompt is sufficient. For a better overview or more details, special programs can be used, up to the network sniffer: Wireshark, which can record the complete network traffic.
How do I see all TCP connections? ›You can do this with the netstat command. The netstat command displays the active TCP connections and ports on which the computer is listening, and other information such as process IDs.
What does ipconfig release all do? ›
First, ipconfig /release is executed to force the client to immediately give up its lease by sending the server a DHCP release notification which updates the server's status information and marks the old client's IP address as "available". Then, the command ipconfig /renew is executed to request a new IP address.
What is the difference between ipconfig and IP? ›The ip command is more versatile and technically more efficient than ifconfig because it uses Netlink sockets rather than ioctl system calls. The ip command may appear more verbose and more complex than ifconfig , but that's one reason it's more versatile.
What does ipconfig reset do? ›ipconfig/release = the client sends a “RELEASE” packet to the DHCP server & then clears its own configuration on the selected interface(s). This essentially resets to 'empty' all the relevant parameters. The DHCP server then does whatever it is configured to do with that address.
How to see all IP in netstat? ›Type "netstat -bn" and press "Enter" to get the list of IP addresses along with the processes that initiated the connections. The protocol, IP and status are displayed under each program.
How to check others IP address using cmd? ›- Open the Command Prompt. First, press the Windows key and the “R” button. ...
- Ping the Website You Want to Trace. Type “ping” followed by the URL of the website to get its IP.
- Run the “Tracert” Command on the IP. ...
- Put These IPs Into an IP Lookup Tool.
The nslookup command queries internet domain name servers in two modes. Interactive mode allows you to query name servers for information about various hosts and domains, or to print a list of the hosts in a domain. In noninteractive mode, the names and requested information are printed for a specified host or domain.
How to view all network connections in Windows 10 cmd? ›- Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
- Type CMD and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
- Type ncpa. cpl and press Enter to open the Network Connections tool.
View Users
To view user accounts on your computer: Open an elevated/administrator command prompt. Type net user and press Enter. Observe the list of user accounts on your computer.
- Open an elevated command prompt.
- At the command prompt, type SET DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1 and press Enter .
The netstat command provides the names of all network interfaces together with addressing and statistical information. The ifconfig command shows the current parameters of a specified network interface.
What does *:* mean in netstat? ›
The first *, in *:* , means connections can come from any IP address, and the second *, in *:* , means the connection can originate from any port on the remote machine.
What is the full netstat command? ›The netstat command displays the contents of various network-related data structures for active connections. This netstat function shows the state of all configured interfaces. This function of the netstat command clears all the statistic counters for the netstat -i command to zero.
How to check network connectivity in cmd? ›- Type “cmd” to bring up the Command Prompt.
- Open the Command Prompt.
- Type “ping” in the black box and hit the space bar.
- Type the IP address you'd like to ping (e.g., 192.XXX.X.X).
- Review the ping results displayed.
Using the Command Prompt
You can also open the Network and Sharing Center from the Command Prompt. To do this, open the Command Prompt by typing ¡°cmd¡± in the Run dialog box and pressing Enter. Then, type ¡°control.exe /name Microsoft.
Select Start > Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset.
Which commands show all LISTening TCP ports? ›- For Microsoft Windows: netstat -ano | find "1234" | find "LISTEN" tasklist /fi "PID eq 1234"
- For Linux: netstat -anpe | grep "1234" | grep "LISTEN"
- Open the Command Prompt. ...
- Type “netstat -aon” and hit enter.
- Look for the port numbers in the LISTening state. ...
- If the port numbers aren't in the LISTening state, you'll need to open them manually.
- To open the Command Prompt (CMD), press Win + R keymatch. Run dialog box will be opened.
- Type cmd and click on the OK button:
- Type the command: tracetcp domainname.tld. NOTE: domainname. ...
- Press Enter.
The easiest way to change IP manually is simply to reset your router. Note that this method will simply issue a new dynamic IP address (constantly changing) rather than a static one. You can also choose to refresh your IP address.
How do I flush DNS and renew my IP? ›- Search box "Commend prompt"
- Type "ipconfig /release" and press Enter.
- Type "ipconfig /renew" and press Enter.
- Type "ipconfig /flushdns" and press Enter.
- Restart the computer.
What is 169.254 IP address? ›
169.254 IP address is a “magic” IP in the cloud world, in AWS it used to retrieve user data and instance metadata specific to a instance. It can only be accessed locally from instances and available without encryption and authentication.
What's my private IP address? ›Search for cmd in the Windows search bar, then in the command line prompt, type ipconfig to view the private IP address.
What replaced ipconfig? ›The ipconfig and netstat commands are deprecated. For example, to display a list of network interfaces, run the ss command instead of netstat . To display information for IP addresses, run the ip addr command instead of ifconfig -a .
Is ifconfig obsolete? ›The ifconfig command is a legacy tool used to configure network interfaces in Linux. Even though the utility was deprecated and replaced with the ip command, ifconfig is still used and often comes preinstalled on modern Linux distributions.
What does flush DNS command do? ›What does flush DNS do? Flushing DNS will clear any IP addresses or other DNS records from your cache. This can help resolve security, internet connectivity, and other issues.
What command shows all IP addresses? ›On Windows, type the command “ipconfig” and press Return. Get more information by typing the command “arp -a.” You should now see a basic list of the IP addresses for devices connected to your network.
What is ARP command? ›The arp command displays and modifies the Internet-to-adapter address translation tables used by the Address in Networks and communication management. The arp command displays the current ARP entry for the host specified by the HostName variable.
How can I trace an IP address location? ›To identify the location of the IP address, you can use a tool such as NordVPN IP Lookup. This tool will allow you to enter the IP address and it will then display the geographic location of the IP address. If you wish to trace multiple IP addresses, you can repeat the same process for each one.
How to trace someones IP address? ›Use an Online IP Lookup Tool
Websites such as WhatIsMyIPAddress.com offer help finding IP addresses and uncovering where they're located. Be sure to double-check IP address information you find to verify its accuracy.
- Open a terminal window to get to the command line.
- Issue the command ipconfig and press Return. On Linux type ifconfig instead.
- Enter the command arp -a to get more information.
How to check DNS records using cmd? ›
Go to Start and type cmd in the search field to open the command prompt. Alternatively, go to Start > Run > type cmd or command. Type nslookup and hit Enter. The displayed information will be your local DNS server and its IP address.
What is the difference between DNS and nslookup? ›This is called “resolving,” where a DNS server checks to see if a given URL has an IP address. Nslookup is similar in that it asks the DNS server for information on a domain, but it can gather more information about mail servers, IP addresses, and more.
What is the difference between ping and nslookup? ›What's the Difference Between nslookup and Ping? While both are useful for troubleshooting network problems, ping uses additional steps to resolve a domain name to an IP address. Meanwhile, nslookup only relies on the DNS server. Pinging an IP address lets you verify if the address exists and can handle requests.
What happens if you execute ipconfig in Windows command line? ›In Windows, ipconfig is a console application designed to run from the Windows command prompt. This utility allows you to get the IP address information of a Windows computer. It also allows some control over your network adapters, IP addresses (DHCP-assigned specifically), even your DNS cache.
How to find your IP address? ›On an Android/tablet
Go to your Wifi network settings, then select the network you're connected to. You'll find your IP address along with the other network information.
Run SFC and DISM Scans
To ensure that the file is still in the system, go to %SystemRoot%\system32 or C:\Windows\System32 and check if there is an executable file under the name ipconfig. In case you find the file missing or corrupted, you can use the system file checker tool to restore the files.
Get the IP address and username
Press Win + R on the host computer to open the Run dialog box. Enter "cmd" and then hit OK. Step 2. To get the IP address for Remote Dekstop, enter the command "ipconfig" and note the IPv4 Address.
Using the ipconfig Command
The ipconfig command displays the basic IP addressing information for each network interface on the Windows system. This information includes both the IP address and subnet mask.
By using tools, such as Whois Lookup, you can trace an IP address and gain valuable insight into the whereabouts of the person or website you are trying to find. Before we get into the steps of IP address tracing, let's take an in-depth look at IP addresses.
Can you reveal your IP address? ›Unless you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) when you access the internet at home, your IP address remains public. Each time you click on a link, your router sends your IP information to the site you've opened.
How do I fix my IP configuration? ›
- Select Start, then type settings. Select Settings > Network & internet.
- Do one of the following: ...
- Next to IP assignment, select Edit.
- Under Edit network IP settings or Edit IP settings, select Automatic (DHCP) or Manual. ...
- When you're done, select Save.
- Try restarting your router. ...
- Disable then re-enable your network adapter. ...
- Release and renew your IP address. ...
- Remove static IP and use an automatic IP instead. ...
- Disable IPv6. ...
- Use a VPN to get a different IP address each time.
Type the command "arp -a" to view the list of all IP addresses connected to your network. This will also display the MAC address and the allocation type (static and dynamic) of all your network devices. Type "nslookup" followed by any IP address obtained through the "arp" command in the previous step.
How do I ping everything on my network? ›- Type “cmd” to bring up the Command Prompt.
- Open the Command Prompt.
- Type “ping” in the black box and hit the space bar.
- Type the IP address you'd like to ping (e.g., 192.XXX.X.X).
- Review the ping results displayed.