Windows Command Prompt, or CMD, can be a handy tool for tweaking network settings. It lets you change IP addresses and DNS settings with commands like “netsh interface ip set address” and “netsh interface ip set dns“. This guide will show you how to do just that in Windows 11 or 10 using either CMD or PowerShell.

Also see: How to Check IP Address in Windows 11

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Netsh, or “network shell,” is a command-line tool in Windows that helps you manage network settings. It’s great for working with IP addresses and DNS settings. You can use netsh interface ip to handle IP addresses and netsh interface ip set dns for DNS configuration.

Related concern: What is Netsh.exe & its Popup and Crashing issues in Windows 11

Although many would argue that it would be more convenient to just adjust things through the GUI available like the network adapter’s properties to configure things like IP addresses and DNS, using command line, particularly the Netsh tool, will give you more freedom and some benefits:

Pro tip: How to Find The IP Address of a Website in Windows 10 / 11

Setting a static IP address is useful for devices that need a constant address, like servers. Here’s how to do it with CMD:

Hit the Win key, search for cmd or Command Prompt, right-click the result, and pick Run as administrator. PowerShell works too.

Type this to list them:

Find the one you’re working with and remember its index number.

Use this template, swapping in your own values:

For instance, to assign 192.168.1.10 to interface number 3, you’d type:

Type ipconfig to see if your new settings are listed.

Related issue: Windows 11 Ethernet “Unidentified Network” (How to Fix)

Dynamic IP addresses, given out by a DHCP server, are the go-to for most networks. Here’s how to set one up:

Just like before.

Run netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces to see your options and pick one.

Here’s the command, don’t forget to use your interface’s index:

For example, for interface 3, it’s:

Run ipconfig to see if it’s set to get an IP address by itself.

Additional resource: Find MAC Address on Windows 11/10 with or without CMD

DNS settings are what turn website names into IP addresses. Here’s how to tweak them:

See also: Change DNS to Google or Cloudflare in Windows 11/10

As mentioned earlier.

Use netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces to find the one to configure.

Replace the placeholders with your actual details:

To use 8.8.8.8 as your primary DNS on interface 3:

Here’s how, just change and to fit your setup:

To set 8.8.4.4 as a backup for interface 3:

Run ipconfig /all to make sure your DNS settings are spot on.

If you want your DNS settings to go back to automatic, here’s what to do:

Same process as before.

Check your interfaces again with netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces.

Here’s how, remember to swap in your interface index:

To reset interface 3‘s DNS:

Run ipconfig /all to see if your computer is back to getting DNS settings on its own.

Using the “netsh interface ip set address” and “netsh interface ip set dns” in CMD to adjust IP and DNS settings on Windows is especially useful when you need to manage a big network. If you are looking to automate stuffs like setting IP and DNS for a lot of computers in the network, this will certainly be one of the best ways.

Tip: Ping IPv4 Address Instead of IPv6 in Windows 11/10 CMD

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