What is ipconfig on Windows CMD used for?

Ipconfig stands for Internet Protocol Configuration which is a command line tool available in all versions of Windows operating system. The key usage of Ipconfig is to display the various network information such as IP addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, network adapter names, and DNS server addresses. This is a piece of quite valuable information about the network adapters installed on the system which can be used to not only identify the PC or device on a network but also in case we want to troubleshoot some network issues or optimize network settings.

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How to Use ipconfig:

To use ipconfig, follow these simple steps:

Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
Type cmd and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
In the Command Prompt window, type ipconfig and press Enter.
Review the output to view the IP configuration details of all network adapters on your system.

Key Features and Usage of ipconfig:

Displaying IP Configuration: Primarily, we use ipconfig command to get the current system IP configuration or details assigned to the PC or Laptop hardware adapter either by a router or any other source. It can be IPv4 or Ipv6 apart from that it also includes the subnet mask and default gateway.

Renewing DHCP Lease: The ipconfig command is not just limited to displaying the IP addresses, it can be used to renew it as well if obtained from a DHCP server (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) lease assigned to a network adapter.

Command to release and renew Ipaddress using ipconfig:

To release the IP address for all active network adapters using the command prompt or powershell:

 ipconfig /release

Renew the IP address:

Once you have released the Ip-address, to request for the new one from the DHCP server, use:

ipconfig /renew

For verify the new IP address:

To verify that the IP address has been renewed successfully, type:

ipconfig /all

This command will display detailed information about all network adapters, including their IP addresses, subnet masks, and default gateways.

Flushing DNS Cache: Furthermore, we can also use the ipconfig to flush the DNS resolver cache, which can resolve DNS-related issues by clearing outdated or corrupted DNS records. Here is the command for that:

In the Command Prompt window, type:

ipconfig /flushdns

Verify the DNS cache has been flushed:

To confirm that the DNS cache has been successfully flushed, we can use the given command. It will display the contents of the DNS resolver cache. If it returns empty, it means the cache has been successfully flushed.

ipconfig /displaydns

Displaying DNS Configuration: Users can get the DNS server addresses configured on the system using ipconfig, which would be beneficial if you are troubleshooting DNS resolution problems. The command to get the DNS server address is the same which we have already seen previously. Along with other information you will also see the DNS address as well.

ipconfig /all

Displaying Additional Information: Apart from the basic network details, using the ipconfig we can also have network adapters’ physical addresses (MAC addresses) and whether they are currently connected or not.

Conclusion:

So, if there is any connectivity problem then we already have seen that Ipconfig can be used to get the details related to network adapters, so that we can diagnose and troubleshoot our network connectivity issues such as incorrect IP settings or connectivity failures. Hence, whether you are facing connectivity issues or want to verify DHCP lease status, the ipconfig command provides valuable insights into the network configuration of Windows system. For Reference: Learn more about on Microsoft Docs: Ipconfig command