Configuring IPv4 Steps

IP (Internet Protocol) address is the 4 octets (32-bit) address used to identify your desktop computer, notebook, router, switch or other network devices in your network or Internet. It’s also called as IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4). IP address is assigned to network card on your desktop computer or notebook to communicate with other network devices.

Each IP Octet can be the value between 0 and 255, but several rules exist for ensuring IP addresses are valid. Examples are 192.168.8.145, 10.11.3.4, etc.

WINDOWS 2000/XP

1. Click on the Start button, point to Settings, then select Control Panel. From within the Control Panel, double-click on the Network and Dial-Up Connections icon.

2. Click on the Local Area Connection to bring up a Local Area Connection Status window. In the "Components Checked are used by this connection" area, highlight "Internet Pro\tocol (TCP/IP)" and click on the Properties button.

3. This will take you to the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties screen.

* If your laptop is already configured for a static ip address, write down the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway information and save it. This is the IP address i\nformation associated with the network connection your computer currently uses, and the address which your computer will acquire whenever you connect to your current subnet.
* To acquire an address dynamically, select "Obtain an Ip address automatically" and "Obtain DNS server address automatically."

4. Select "OK" to close the window.

5. You'll be prompted that you need to restart your computer before new settings will take effect.

Here are step-by-step instructions showing you how to set IP address and other network information:

1) Go to Start and click on Control Panel.

2) Control Panel window will appear. Double click on Network Connections.

3) Network Connections window will appear. Right click correct Local Area Connection by identifying correct network card and click Properties.

4) Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Click on Properties.

Manual IP Assigning

You can now key in the IP address, Subnet mask, Default gateway and DNS servers. 

Note: IP address of your computer must be unique. None of the 2 computers in the network can share same IP address, it causes IP address conflict.

Note: Default gateway is a router that can route the traffic to the other network or Internet. DNS server is an application server that can translate URL to IP address. As an example, www.cert.org is URL and it can be translated to 192.88.209.6 by DNS server. Check with your ISP on what DNS servers you should use.

IP Assigned by DHCP server

If you have DHCP server setup on your router or you have DHCP server in anetwork, your computer can be assigned IP address automatically by selecting Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically.

Note: If you have a notebook, using static IP at home and the IP assigned by DHCP server at the office, you can make use of alternate configuration to set IP and network information for these 2 different network.

Set Obtain an IP address automatically on General tab which is same as what I specified above, so that the notebook will be assigned IP addresses automatically at the office. After that, click Alternate Configuration tab, select User configured option and key in your home network’s static IP information. By setting this, when there is no IP information assigned due to no DHCP server at home, this alternate configuration will be applied automatically, so that you don’t have to set IP manually every time at home.