How to Set a Static IP Address on Windows 11

A static IP address can put a Windows 11 computer on the same subnet as a device that has no DHCP service. That is useful when commissioning industrial equipment over a direct Ethernet cable. It is also easy to break the computer's normal network access by entering an address, subnet mask or default gateway that belongs somewhere else.

For ordinary office and home networks, Microsoft recommends automatic addressing with DHCP. Use the manual procedure below only when the network design or device instructions require it. Record the original settings first and restore them when the temporary connection is finished.

EpiSensor direct-management settings

For a current factory-provisioned ZGW-20 running the Core 26 network profile, the dedicated management Ethernet port retains 172.31.255.1/24 as its direct-access address and does not provide a default route. Configure the Windows Ethernet adapter as follows:

These values are not a universal EpiSensor default. An older, upgraded or manually configured Gateway can differ. Confirm the correct physical connector and effective network profile before changing the computer. Coordinate with the network administrator if 172.31.255.0/24 is already used elsewhere on the computer or site.

This procedure changes the Windows computer, not the Gateway. Do not use these example values as a permanent address on a customer network.

Before changing the address

1. Save or photograph the current Windows IP-assignment setting.
2. Open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /all. Record the connected adapter's name, IPv4 address, subnet mask, default gateway, DHCP state and DNS servers.
3. Confirm whether the task is a temporary direct-device connection or a permanent address on a managed network.
4. For a permanent network address, obtain the IP address, mask or prefix, gateway and DNS values from the network administrator. Do not choose an apparently unused address by trial and error.
5. Connect the intended Ethernet adapter to the correct device or network port. Adapter names such as Ethernet, Ethernet 2 and USB-vendor names are common, so identify the adapter from its connected state rather than its label alone.

Set the static IPv4 address in Windows 11

Microsoft's current Windows 11 path is:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Network & internet.
3. Select Ethernet, then select the connected Ethernet network. For a Wi-Fi network, select Wi-Fi, Manage known networks, then the required network.
4. Beside IP assignment, select Edit.
5. Change Automatic (DHCP) to Manual.
6. Turn IPv4 on.
7. Enter the approved address values. For the current ZGW-20 direct-management example, use 172.31.255.123 and 255.255.255.0, with gateway and DNS left empty.
8. Select Save.

Keep the network profile set to Public for an unfamiliar or direct-device network unless the organisation's policy requires something else. Changing to Private relaxes Windows discovery and sharing rules; it is not required merely to assign an IPv4 address.

The exact labels can vary slightly between Windows builds. If a dialog asks for a subnet prefix length instead of a subnet mask, /24 means a prefix length of 24 and a mask of 255.255.255.0.

Verify the result

Open Command Prompt and run:

ipconfig /all
ping 172.31.255.1

Check the output against the adapter you changed:

• the IPv4 address is the intended client address;
• the subnet mask is correct;
• no unintended default gateway or DNS server has appeared on the temporary management link; and
• the cable and adapter show as connected.

A successful ping confirms an IP response from that address. It does not prove that the intended application, port or service is available. A failed ping does not prove the device is offline because policy can block ICMP. Continue with the address, protocol and port specified by the commissioning procedure.

Restore DHCP after a temporary connection

Do not leave a service laptop on the example address when returning it to an ordinary network.

1. Return to Settings, Network & internet, and the adapter you changed.
2. Beside IP assignment, select Edit.
3. Choose Automatic (DHCP) and select Save.
4. Disconnect and reconnect the adapter if Windows does not immediately request a lease.
5. Run ipconfig /all again. Confirm that DHCP is enabled and that the expected address, gateway and DNS servers have returned.

Restoring automatic IP assignment also restores automatic DNS assignment in the same Windows settings workflow. If the network uses separate manual DNS settings, restore the recorded organisation-approved values instead.

Permanent static address or DHCP reservation?

A manual address is stored on the Windows computer. A DHCP reservation is stored on the DHCP server and gives the computer a predictable address while leaving the adapter on automatic configuration.

For a managed network, a reservation is often easier to operate because gateway, DNS and other options remain centrally controlled. A manual address may still be required for isolated plant networks or devices that must work before DHCP is available. The correct choice belongs in the network design, not in a generic example copied from the internet.

Never reuse the EpiSensor management example on the site's production LAN unless the network administrator has deliberately assigned that subnet and address.

Troubleshooting a static IP connection

Windows saves the address but the device is unreachable

Confirm the physical port, cable, adapter and link state first. Then check that the computer and device addresses share the same subnet. For the current EpiSensor example, both addresses begin 172.31.255 and use a /24 prefix. Check for another active adapter or VPN that already owns a route to the same subnet; route print shows the Windows routing table.

Do not disable security controls indiscriminately. If a firewall, endpoint agent or VPN policy is involved, follow the organisation's approved diagnostic process.

Windows reports an address conflict

Another device is already using the selected client address. Stop and assign a known-free address through the network owner. On the isolated EpiSensor direct-management link, confirm that the Gateway remains at .1 and that the proposed client address is not already in use. Do not use the subnet address .0 or broadcast address .255.

The direct link has no internet access

That is expected when the management adapter has no default gateway or DNS server. Keep normal internet access on a separate approved adapter if the commissioning procedure allows it. Do not invent a gateway address simply to remove Windows' “No internet” status.

The Gateway address still does not answer

The installation may predate the current factory profile or may have been changed. Verify the actual Gateway network configuration and connector rather than widening the Windows subnet until something responds. Use the downloadable EPI-261-01 field guide for the concise current procedure, or contact EpiSensor with the Gateway serial and deployment details.