How to release and renew your IP address in Windows XP

IP addresses can either be assigned manually or automatically. When they are assigned automatically, a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server hands them out and determines which computer or other device gets which address. This process usually flows smoothly, but there are times when you may need to release or renew an IP address even when using DHCP.

There are several ways to release and renew IP addresses in Windows XP. Each procedure is described below.

From the system notification tray:

1. Right click on the network connection icon in the system notification tray.
2. Select Repair. Windows will automatically release the current IP address, reset the network connection, and request an IP address from the DHCP server. (The new IP address that gets assigned may be a different one from before, or it may be the same one.)

From the Start menu:

1. Click the Start button.
2. Right click on My Network Places.
3. Select Properties.
4. Right click on the network connection that is currently in use.
5. Select Repair. (If you choose a network connection that is not in use, the Repair option will be grayed out.)

For either of the above methods, you can release and renew your IP address manually by clicking Disable instead of Repair, and then right-clicking and choosing Enable.

From the command prompt:

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click Run.
3. Type "cmd" and press [Enter].
4. At the command line, type "ipconfig /release" and press [Enter].
5. Type "ipconfig /renew" and press [Enter].
6. Type "exit" and press [Enter].

(Originally posted on FixYa.com, February 2011)