Network Guides

How to Refresh Network Settings with ipconfig

Use release, renew, and flushdns to quickly refresh Windows network settings.

Before you start

This guide is for Windows systems using Command Prompt.

Some commands may require administrator rights depending on system policy.

If you are using a fixed IP instead of DHCP, release and renew may not behave as expected.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Refresh IP address

If you want to refresh the IP address assigned to your computer, run the following command in Command Prompt.

Command

ipconfig /release && ipconfig /renew

What it does

It removes the current DHCP IP address first, then requests a new one from the network.

2. Clear DNS cache

If domain or DNS information has changed but your PC still shows old data, clear the DNS cache.

Command

ipconfig /flushdns

When to use

This is useful when domain-related settings were changed but your computer still keeps old DNS results in cache.

ipconfig options

Reference

/?           Show help
/all         Show all configuration
/release     Remove IP address from adapter
/renew       Renew IP address
/flushdns    Clear DNS resolver cache
/registerdns Refresh DHCP and register DNS names
/displaydns  Show DNS resolver cache
/showclassid Show all DHCP class IDs
/setclassid  Set DHCP class ID

Example

General usage format: ipconfig /option

Common issues

No new IP address after renew

This may happen if the DHCP server is unavailable or the adapter is disconnected.

flushdns does not fix the problem

The issue may not be local DNS cache. It could be browser cache, external DNS propagation, or a network-side problem.

Using fixed IP

If the adapter uses a static IP address instead of DHCP, release and renew may not be useful.

About this guide

This guide shows how to refresh Windows network settings using ipconfig commands. It is useful when you want to renew your IP address or clear DNS cache after network or domain-related changes.

How to follow this guide

Open Command Prompt.
Use release and renew to refresh the IP address.
Use flushdns to clear DNS cache if domain changes are not reflected.
Use other ipconfig options when you need more network details.

Why use this method?

ipconfig is one of the fastest ways to fix common Windows network issues. It helps refresh DHCP settings, clear cached DNS data, and check network configuration without needing extra tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ipconfig /release do?

It removes the current IP address assigned to the network adapter.

What does ipconfig /renew do?

It requests a new IP address from the DHCP server.

What does ipconfig /flushdns do?

It clears the DNS resolver cache stored on the local computer.

Do I need administrator rights?

Some environments may require Command Prompt to be opened as administrator.

Guides

Fix common Windows network issues quickly with simple command line tools.