How to check if your IP address is dynamic or static

Check your active connection's Internet Protocol (IP) settings, not just the address number. Those settings show automatic or manual local assignment, while your internet service provider (ISP) can confirm your public-address arrangement.

In short:

• DHCP result. DHCP Enabled: Yes means Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) use, including possible reservations.
• Static local address. Confirm manual Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) settings on the active connection.
• Public address. Ask your ISP to confirm the arrangement because a repeated address doesn't prove it's static.

Check the settings for your active connection

These checks focus on IPv4. Inspect only devices you own or administer, and leave settings unchanged so there's nothing to restore.

1. Run this display command in Command Prompt on Windows.

ipconfig /all

Microsoft documents this command as displaying the full configuration for all adapters. The list can include physical connections and logical adapters, so not every entry describes the connection you're using.

2. Find your connected Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter.

Read DHCP Enabled under that adapter. Yes confirms that it uses DHCP to get its address automatically. It doesn't tell you whether the DHCP server reserves that address for your device.

3. Confirm manual IPv4 settings if DHCP is disabled.

If DHCP Enabled says No, open the active connection's network settings and inspect its IPv4 assignment. A manually configured address confirms a static local configuration.

Don't treat No alone as proof of where every displayed address came from. The command can also show automatic private addressing or an alternate configuration. If the device settings don't clearly confirm a manual address, leave the local assignment unconfirmed.

Find the setting on your other devices

On devices you own or administer, inspect the settings without changing or saving them, so no recovery is needed. Automatic assignment can still use a DHCP reservation. The phone checks below apply to Wi-Fi, not cellular addressing.

macOS

1. Inspect Configure IPv4 for the active connection.

Open the active connection's network settings and find Configure IPv4 under TCP/IP, short for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.

Using DHCP means automatic assignment. Manually means manual IPv4 configuration. If you see another mode, don't classify it using those two labels.

Linux with NetworkManager

These instructions apply to Linux systems using NetworkManager, not every Linux network manager. Replace <name> below with your active connection profile's name.

1. Read the active connection profile in a Linux terminal.

nmcli connection show "<name>"

2. Inspect ipv4.method.

NetworkManager documents auto and manual as IPv4 configuration methods. An auto value means automatic IPv4 configuration. manual means manual configuration. If you see a different value, or use another network manager, check that configuration's meaning before classifying the address.

Android

1. Open the active Wi-Fi connection's details.

Look for IP settings in the connected Wi-Fi network's details or advanced options. Menu names vary by device and Android version; use your manufacturer's instructions. Sony's Xperia guide documents this setting as DHCP or Static.

2. Read the assignment setting.

DHCP indicates automatic assignment. Static indicates manual configuration. If your device uses different labels, check its documentation before classifying them. A DHCP setting doesn't rule out a reservation on the router. Leave the value unchanged and exit without saving.

iOS

1. Open the active Wi-Fi network's details.

Find Configure IP.

2. Read the selected mode.

Automatic means automatic assignment. Manual means manual configuration. Use the reservation check below if you need to know whether an automatically assigned address is held for your device.

Check whether DHCP reserves your address

A DHCP reservation gives a device a consistent address while it still uses automatic assignment. You need the router or DHCP server's reservation records to confirm it.

Inspect only an administration interface you're authorized to access. Don't save changes, so no rollback is needed.

1. Open the router or DHCP server's reservation records.

Check reservations before changing the device's address settings. The device's DHCP setting alone can't show whether a reservation exists.

2. Match the record to your device.

Compare the reserved IPv4 address and the device's Media Access Control (MAC) address, its network-interface identifier. A matching reservation record confirms that the server has set that address aside for the device.

3. Ask the network administrator if you can't confirm the match.

Ask them to check the reservation records for your device. Don't infer that an address is manually configured just because you can't find it in a lease list.

Hypothetical printer example: Your printer keeps the same address, and its configuration says DHCP is enabled. That could be a reservation, but those observations don't prove one exists. A matching reservation record answers the question without changing the printer's connection.

Ask your ISP about your public address

When your device sits on a local network, its IPv4 settings describe that local connection. They don't settle whether your ISP provides a fixed public address or one that may be reassigned.

1. Check your account's addressing information.

Look for information about whether your internet service includes a fixed public address. A local device's manual address setting isn't evidence of that arrangement.

2. Ask your ISP to confirm the arrangement.

Ask whether your public address is fixed under your service or can be reassigned. If your account information and the ISP's response don't settle it, record the public-address type as unconfirmed.

3. Treat router settings and repeated addresses as observations.

A router's Internet connection page may show automatic assignment. That tells you how the connection is configured, not whether the ISP guarantees a fixed address.

A dynamically assigned address can stay the same across several sessions without a fixed assignment guarantee. Don't reboot the router, release its address lease or change settings just to classify it. ISP confirmation is the useful next step when your account details are unclear.