Mastering Ipconfig Commands for Windows Sebastian, 31 July 2023 Ipconfig is a command-line tool that displays the configuration of your network interface adapters like IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, DNS server address among others. It is an essential utility for network administrators or anyone who needs to troubleshoot network problems on Windows systems. In this blog post, we will cover the most commonly used Ipconfig commands, their output, and how to use them for diagnostic purposes. Ipconfig: Basic Command The basic Ipconfig command displays the IP configuration of all network adapters installed on your Windows system. To run this command, open the Command Prompt by typing “cmd” in the Run dialog box (Windows + R) and enter the following command: ipconfig The output displays basic configuration details of your network adapters, including: IPv4 address Subnet mask Default gateway DNS server address The IP address is listed as IPv4 address, which is a unique identifier assigned to every computer on a network. In case you have both IPv4 and IPv6 enabled, you can view both of them under the IP address section. List of Ipconfig Commands Below is a list of Ipconfig commands that can be used to display different network adapter configuration attributes: Ipconfig Command Description /all Displays detailed configuration information of network adapters, including DHCP server, DHCP lease obtained/expiration, and physical address (MAC address). /release Releases the current IP address lease assigned by the DHCP server for all network adapters. /renew Renews the IP configuration of all the network adapters for which DHCP server has assigned an IP address lease. /flushdns Clears the DNS resolver cache of DNS name queries for all network adapters. /registerdns Re-registers DNS names of all network adapters that are connected to the DNS server. /displaydns Displays the DNS resolver cache of resolved DNS name queries for all network adapters. Ipconfig /all Command The Ipconfig /all command displays the detailed configuration information of all network adapters installed on your Windows system. This command provides a comprehensive view of network adapter properties, including: MAC Address IPv4 and IPv6 addresses Subnet mask and Default gateway Physical Ethernet adapter details Configuration of DNS servers and DHCP server Active connections For example, to view the detailed configuration information of all network adapters installed on your Windows system, follow these steps: Open the Command Prompt by typing “cmd” in the Run dialog box (Windows + R). Type the following command and press enter ipconfig /all The output displays all details of your network adapters. Ipconfig /release and /renew Commands The Ipconfig /release and /renew commands are used to release and renew the IP configuration of all network adapters configured for DHCP. This is particularly useful when a device is not getting a valid IP configuration assignment from the DHCP server or when you want your computer to obtain a new IP address from the DHCP server. Here is how you can run these commands: Open the Command Prompt by typing “cmd” in the Run dialog box (Windows + R). Type the following command to release the IP configuration lease for all network adapters configured for DHCP: ipconfig /release Then, type the following command to renew the IP configuration of all network adapters configured for DHCP: ipconfig /renew After running the commands, you should see a new IP address assigned to your computer by the DHCP server, as well as, updated DNS server information. Ipconfig /flushdns Command The Ipconfig /flushdns command is used to clear the DNS resolver cache of DNS name queries. This command is useful when you experience DNS resolution problems or when you want to retrieve updated DNS information from the DNS server. To run this command, follow these steps: Open the Command Prompt by typing “cmd” in the Run dialog box (Windows + R). Type the following command and press enter: ipconfig /flushdns After running the command, you should see a success message indicating that the DNS resolver cache has been cleared. Ipconfig /registerdns Command The Ipconfig /registerdns command is used to re-register DNS names of all network adapters that are connected to the DNS server. This command is helpful when you experience DNS resolution issues or when the DNS server cannot resolve a specific DNS name. You can run this command simply by typing the following command: ipconfig /registerdns After running the command, you should see a success message indicating that the DNS names have been re-registered. Ipconfig /displaydns Command The Ipconfig /displaydns command is used to display the DNS resolver cache of resolved DNS name queries for all network adapters. This command is useful to troubleshoot DNS name resolution issues on your Windows system. To view the DNS name cache, follow these steps: Open the Command Prompt by typing “cmd” in the Run dialog box (Windows + R). Type the following command: ipconfig /displaydns The output should display the DNS resolver cache, including information such as record type, DNS name, and Time-to-live (TTL). Important notes: Run the Ipconfig command with elevated privileges to obtain a complete view of network adapters configuration. Press the up-arrow key to access previous commands faster in the Command Prompt. Use the Ping command to test if your computer can communicate with other computers on the network. The output format of Ipconfig command can be changed from plain-text to HTML by adding the /HTML parameter at the end of the command (e.g. ipconfig /all /HTML). Conclusion Mastering Ipconfig commands is essential for Windows system administrators and users who need to diagnose networking problems. In this blog post, we have explained the most commonly used Ipconfig commands, their output, and how to use them. Whether you need to renew or release IP configuration leases, clear the DNS cache, or troubleshoot DNS name resolution issues, Ipconfig commands have got you covered. Internet