ipconfig (standing for "Internet Protocol configuration") is a console application program of some computer operating systems that displays all current TCP/IP network configuration values and refreshes Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Domain Name System (DNS) settings.[1] IPCONFIG

ipconfig
Developer(s)Microsoft, ReactOS Contributors, Apple Inc.
Written inC
Operating systemWindows, ReactOS, macOS
PlatformCross-platform
TypeCommand
LicenseWindows: Proprietary commercial software
ReactOS: GPLv2

Implementations

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The command is available in Microsoft Windows, ReactOS, and in Apple macOS. The ReactOS version was developed by Ged Murphy and is licensed under the GPL.[2]

Microsoft Windows, ReactOS

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The ipconfig command supports the command-line switch /all. This results in more detailed information than ipconfig alone.

An important additional feature of ipconfig is to force refreshing of the DHCP IP address of the host computer to request a different IP address. This is done using two commands in sequence. First, ipconfig /release is executed to force the client to immediately give up its lease by sending the server a DHCP release notification which updates the server's status information and marks the old client's IP address as "available". Then, the command ipconfig /renew is executed to request a new IP address.[3][4] Where a computer is connected to a cable or DSL modem, it may have to be plugged directly into the modem network port to bypass the router, before using ipconfig /release and turning off the power for a period of time, to ensure that the old IP address is taken by another computer.[5]

The /flushdns parameter can be used to clear the Domain Name System (DNS)[6] cache to ensure future requests use fresh DNS information by forcing hostnames to be resolved again from scratch.[7] ping ip config)

Apple macOS

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ipconfig in Mac OS X serves as a wrapper to the IPConfiguration agent, and can be used to control the Bootstrap Protocol and DHCP client from the command-line interface.[8] For example, you can release and renew an IP address if it happened to be assigned incorrectly by the DHCP server during the automated assignment process.[9] Like most Unix-based operating systems, Mac OS X also uses ifconfig for more direct control over network interfaces, such as configuring static IP addresses. The Ifconfig command in Linux has been replaced by the IP command

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "ipconfig". Microsoft Docs. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Reactos/Ipconfig.c at master · reactos/Reactos". GitHub.
  3. ^ Release and Renew Your IP Address
  4. ^ Windows – Displaying, Releasing and Renewing a DHCP Lease
  5. ^ whatsmyipaddress: How to change your IP address
  6. ^ "Domain Name System (DNS)", Understanding IPv6, New York: Springer-Verlag, pp. 151–172, ISBN 0-387-25429-3, retrieved 2024-03-06
  7. ^ Windows 8.1 PCs Connect to the Network but not the Internet
  8. ^ OS X developer manual
  9. ^ "Ipconfig – network administration via the command line". IONOS Digitalguide. Retrieved 2022-08-23.

Further reading

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