How to enable or disable DHCP in Windows

Updated: 11/06/2021 by Computer Hope

The majority of corporate and home networks today are configured for DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), which enables your computer to be automatically assigned an IP address.

To enable or disable DHCP in Windows, follow the steps below for your version of Windows.

Note

When disabling DHCP and using a static IP address, make sure you know and enter all the correct settings. Entering wrong settings can result in your Internet or Network connection not working anymore.

Windows 8 and Windows 10

  1. On the Windows desktop, press the Windows key+X on the keyboard to open the Power User menu.
  2. Select the Network Connections option.
  3. You should see at least two types of network connections: Ethernet and Wi-Fi. Double-click the active network connection.
  4. On the network connection status window, click the Properties button.
  5. Click the Internet Protocol Version 4 option and click the Properties button. You may need to perform the following steps for the Internet Protocol Version 6 option as well.
  6. To enable DHCP, make sure Obtain an IP address automatically is selected, and Obtain DNS server address automatically.

    To disable DHCP and enter your network settings instead, select the Use the following IP address option and enter values for IP address, Subnet mask, and Default Gateway. Also, select the Use the following DNS server address option and enter a value for Preferred DNS (Domain Name System) server. You can also enter a value for Alternate DNS server if you want.

Windows Vista and Windows 7

  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Click the Network and Sharing Center icon.
  3. In the View your active networks section, click the Local Area Connection link.
  4. In the Local Area Connection Status window, click the Properties button.
  5. Highlight the Internet Protocol Version 4 option and click the Properties button. You may need to perform the following steps for the Internet Protocol Version 6 option as well.
  6. To enable DHCP, make sure Obtain an IP address automatically is selected, and Obtain DNS server address automatically.

    To disable DHCP and enter your network settings instead, select the Use the following IP address option and enter values for IP address, Subnet mask, and Default Gateway. Also, select the Use the following DNS server address option and enter a value for Preferred DNS server. You can also enter a value for Alternate DNS server if you want.

Windows XP and earlier versions

  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Network connections.
Note

You may be see Network and Internet connections instead. If so, double-click it and then Network connections.

  1. Right-click Local Area Connection and select Properties.
  2. Highlight the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) option and click the Properties button.
  3. To enable DHCP, make sure Obtain an IP address automatically is selected, and Obtain DNS server address automatically.

    To disable DHCP and manually define your network settings instead, select the Use the following IP address option. Then, enter the appropriate values for IP address, Subnet mask, and Default Gateway. Also, select the Use the following DNS server address option and enter a value for Preferred DNS server. You can also enter a value for Alternate DNS server if you want.

How can I tell if I'm using DHCP?

An easy method of determining this is to use the ipconfig /all command from the command line. The output lists the DHCP status of your Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection. The line looks like this:

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes