As I continue to receive the odd email requesting simpler forms of entering static IP addresses to computers I have removed the complex detail I had here previously.
While that detail worked very well it was specifically and, perhaps unwisely, directed to a very specific make of router. For this reason I have decided to add a link to an external site, youTube, where you can watch a very simple, but extremely effective, video on how to set a fixed IP address in your system.
The video is made for users of Windows 10 but the method is virtually the same for any version of Windows.
If you want to skip the first several minutes of the video and get right down to entering the details necessary for the setup to work then do the following in Windows 10 where I show you in seconds what is done over the first 2 minutes of that video: Open a Command Prompt and type "ipconfig /all" (do not include quotations) then press Enter. Next, right click the Start button (lower left of the screen). Click Network Connections on the list. You will now have two open windows full of information. Drag and resize, if necessary, the windows so they are not overlapping each other too much. These are going to be used while watching the video.
On the YouTube video move the cursor along the time bar so the start position shows 2 minutes and 15 seconds. From this point in the video you can get the most important information. The earlier part merely tells you to do what I have above and saved you that time so you have extra to play with your trains.
Of course, if you want to watch the beginning of the video then feel free to do so although it is not giving you anything extra to learn.
And to the link:
As everything should be working at this point there may be some scenarios where it isn’t. It is recommended here that you should check the numbers you have entered into the Network Connections dialogue box. If they are incorrect then change them now. If the DNS numbers are not working correctly (i.e. the OpenDNS server numbers (this would be RARE)) then enter your ISP DNS numbers or EVEN the same number as you entered for your Gateway.
Usually you would always (and technically SHOULD always) use the DNS server settings provided by your ISP. Your router will always automatically do this for you although any settings you enter as above will always override the router. You DO NOT have to enter DNS settings at all really as the router takes care of this. The alternate DNS numbers can be left off the settings altogether with no adverse effect as they are there only if the first set fails and that is not going to happen. If you wish to use, or test these settings, then the OpenDNS server numbers are: Preferred... 208.67.222.222 and Alternate... 208.67.220.220. You COULD even use Google DNS Servers thus: Preferred... 8.8.8.8 and Alternate... 8.8.4.4. Contrary to what some sites say when advising to use these numbers, in particular Google, you can almost always ignore them and use, safely, your own ISP DNS settings. Remember, Google want your data.
One final point... your router, if the facility exists within, will offer the chance to MATCH your IP address to your MAC address for your network card (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) which permanently fixes that address to that card stopping the IP being allocated to other hardware. It also will make it very hard to have outsiders break into your network.