How to Assign an IP Address, Default Gateway, and DNS Server in Windows 10

An IP address plays a major role in connecting your PC to the Internet or even to the other computers in a local area network (LAN). By default Windows 10 is configured to obtain the IP address automatically and if you have a modem provided by your ISP or you own a router both the devices have built-in DHCP server that automatically assigns an IP address to your PC.

However sometimes situations may be otherwise. In almost all production environments and many times even in homes you may want to manually assign an IP address default gateway and DNS server to your PC in order to be precise with the configuration and to maintain a proper IP addressing convention that is easy to understand.

To understand things more clearly the terms are briefly discussed below:

• IP Address – A unique 32-bit numerical (decimal) value that makes the computer identifiable in a network. No two computers can have the same IP address. Example: 192.168.0.10.
• Subnet Mask – An IP address is always accompanied with a corresponding subnet mask which is again a 32-bit numerical (decimal) value. A subnet mask of a computer makes it a member of a particular network and all the PCs in a network must share a common subnet mask.  Example: 255.255.255.0.
• Default Gateway – Another 32-bit numerical (decimal) value that looks identical to IP address but is different in a way that all the PCs in one network must share a common default gateway. The default gateway is the IP address of the router that is responsible to allow computers to connect to other networks – mostly the Internet. Example: 192.168.0.1.
• DNS Server – A DNS server address is also an IP address but of the server that keeps records of all the other computers in a local area network and the Internet.

As mentioned above all these values are automatically assigned to a PC by the DHCP server (which is a router in most home environments) because of the operating system’s default configuration to get the IP address automatically.

In case you want to manually assign an IP address default gateway and DNS server on your Windows 10 PC you must follow the steps given below:

Note: Before continuing you must be sure that you understand the concept of IP addressing and how the addressing scheme works. If you are not aware of the technicalities you can continue using your PC normally without doing anything.

1. Use an administrator account to sign-in to your Windows 10 PC.
2. Once on the desktop screen press the Windows + R keys together.
3. In the available field of the opened Run command box type NCPA.CPL and press Enter.

4. In the opened Network Connections window right-click the icon of the network adapter to which you want to assign the IP address manually.
5. From the context menu that comes up click Properties.

6. From the displayed list in the NIC’s properties box click to select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
7. Once selected click the Properties button.

8. In the opened Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties box click to select the Use the following IP address radio button.
9. Populate the IP address Subnet mask and Default gateway fields with the appropriate values.
10. Ensure that the Use the following DNS server addresses radio button is selected.
11. Populate the Preferred DNS server and optionally the Alternate DNS server fields with the correct values.

Note: You must use the correct IP address default gateway and DNS server addresses in order to connect the computer to the local area network or the Internet. If you are not sure which values must be used you must contact the system administrator or your ISP in case of home networks.

12. Once the fields are populated click OK and back on the previous box click OK again
13. Start using your PC normally.