If the DHCP feature in Windows 10 is causing problems or creating road-blocks, you can disable it pretty easily. Here’re the steps to disable DHCP in Windows 10.
In the Windows operating system, the DHCP function is enabled by default. The DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) function is responsible for assigning the IP addresses to all the devices on a network. So, when you are connected to a network, like in the home or office, your computer gets its IP address via the DHCP protocol. One of the key features of DHCP is its ability to assign dynamic IP addresses. i.e, every time you connect or reconnect to a network, you might get a completely different IP address. This dynamic allocation removes the need for manually assigning the IP addresses and reduces the chances of IP address conflicts. Put simply, the DHCP functionality is pretty useful in day to day situation.
If you want a specific IP address, you need to manually disable DHCP in Windows 10 and then configure Windows to get a static IP address. Not to mention, if the DHCP is causing problems in your network connections, like when sharing folders or connecting to and from a server, it is better to disable the DHCP completely. You can manually configure all the IP settings directly from the Windows 10 network manager.
In this quick and simple guide, let me show the steps to fully disable the DHCP functionality in Windows 10.
Steps to Disable DHCP in Windows 10
You can disable DHCP from the settings app in Windows 10. Here are the steps to follow.
- Right-click on the network icon on the taskbar.
- Select the “Open Network & Internet Settings” option.
- In the currently active network screen, click on the “Properties” button under the network connection.
- Here, click the “Edit” button under the “IP Settings / IP Assignment” section.
- Select “Manual” from the drop-down menu.
- Turn on the “IPv4” option.
- Now, fill in the details of the IP address, Subnet prefix length, Gateway, and preferred DNS address.
- Click on the “Save” button.
- Close the Settings app.
- Restart Windows 10.
That is it. You’ve successfully disabled DHCP in Windows 10. If you ever want to enable DHCP back, simply follow the same steps but select the “Automatic (DHCP)” option in steps 5 and ignore the after steps.
Important Notes:
- Each network connection has its own DHCP settings. If you want to disable DHCP on all network interfaces, you have to follow the steps for each one individually. For example, if your system has both WiFi and Ethernet, you have to configure DHCP for both of them individually.
- You can get the Static IP details from your ISP, network administrator, or from the router config page.
- For “Subnet prefix length”, try “24” or “16”. You can learn more about subnet prefix length from this Cisco page.
- When configuring static IP on a local network, make sure there are no duplicates.
- For preferred DNS, you can either use the DNS supplied by your ISP or public DNS services like Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1).
- If you are using IPv6 then enable the IPv6 option in step 6 and configure it accordingly.
That is all. I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible.