ipconfig command reference
Complete reference for all ipconfig command parameters including /all, /release, /renew, /flushdns, /displaydns, and /registerdns.
Complete reference for all ipconfig command-line parameters on Windows.
ipconfig Display Parameters
ipconfig provides two display commands that read the current TCP/IP configuration without modifying it.
| Parameter | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
ipconfig | Displays the IPv4 address, subnet mask, and default gateway for each active network adapter. Shows only the essential TCP/IP configuration. | ipconfig |
ipconfig /all | Displays the full TCP/IP configuration for all network adapters, including the MAC address (Physical Address), DHCP lease status, DNS server addresses, lease obtained and expiration timestamps, and adapter description. | ipconfig /all |
ipconfig DHCP Lease Management Parameters
ipconfig manages Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) leases through release and renew commands. These parameters communicate with the DHCP server running on the local network router.
| Parameter | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
ipconfig /release | Sends a DHCPRELEASE message to the DHCP server to revoke the current IPv4 address lease for all adapters. The released IP address returns to the DHCP server's available pool. Does not affect adapters with statically assigned IP addresses. | ipconfig /release |
ipconfig /release6 | Sends a DHCPRELEASE message to revoke the current IPv6 address lease for all adapters. Functions identically to
/release but targets IPv6 addresses. | ipconfig /release6 |
ipconfig /renew | Sends a DHCPDISCOVER message to the DHCP server to request a new IPv4 address lease for all adapters. Specify an adapter name in quotes to renew a single adapter. Does not affect statically assigned addresses. | ipconfig /renew "Ethernet" |
ipconfig /renew6 | Sends a DHCPDISCOVER message to request a new IPv6 address lease for all adapters. | ipconfig /renew6 |
ipconfig DNS Parameters
ipconfig manages the local DNS resolver cache, which stores domain-to-IP-address mappings to speed up repeated DNS lookups.
| Parameter | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
ipconfig /flushdns | Clears all entries from the local DNS resolver cache. Forces Windows to query the configured DNS server for fresh records on the next domain name lookup. Use after changing DNS records or switching DNS servers. | ipconfig /flushdns |
ipconfig /displaydns | Displays all cached entries in the local DNS resolver cache. Each entry shows the domain name, record type, Time to Live (TTL), and the resolved IP address or CNAME target. | ipconfig /displaydns |
ipconfig /registerdns | Refreshes all DHCP leases and re-registers the computer's DNS host name (A and AAAA records) with the Active Directory DNS server. Useful for computers joined to a Windows domain that need to update their DNS registration. | ipconfig /registerdns |
ipconfig Help Parameter
| Parameter | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
ipconfig /? | Displays the help menu listing all available ipconfig parameters with brief descriptions and usage examples. | ipconfig /? |