 Screenshot of ipconfig /all output inWindows XP | |
| Developer(s) | Microsoft, ReactOS Contributors,Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Written in | C |
| Operating system | Windows,ReactOS,macOS |
| Platform | Cross-platform |
| Type | Command |
| License | Windows, macOS:Proprietarycommercial software ReactOS:GPL-2.0-or-later |
ipconfig (standing for "Internet Protocol configuration") is aconsole application program of some computeroperating systems that displays all currentTCP/IP network configuration values and refreshesDynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Domain Name System (DNS) settings.[1]
Thecommand is available inMicrosoft Windows,ReactOS, and inApplemacOS. The ReactOS version was developed by Ged Murphy and is licensed under theGPL.[2]
Theipconfig command supports thecommand-line switch/all. This results in more detailed information thanipconfig alone.
An important additional feature ofipconfig 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 commandipconfig /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 usingipconfig /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])
ipconfig inMac OS X serves as a wrapper to the IPConfiguration agent, and can be used to control theBootstrap 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 mostUnix-based operating systems, Mac OS X also usesifconfig 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 The Ifconfig command in Linux has been replaced by the IP command
ipconfig(8): view and control IP configuration state – Darwin andmacOS System Manager'sManual