How to Get to Advanced TCP/IP Settings in Windows 10

To get to the Advanced TCP/IP Settings window in Windows 10, press Windows key + R, type ncpa.cpl and press Enter. In the Network Connections window, right-click your Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter and choose Properties, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), click Properties, then click Advanced. The window that opens has three tabs: IP Settings, DNS and WINS.

Applies to: Windows 10 version 22H2 (Home, Pro, Education and Enterprise). You need an administrator account to save changes. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, and only PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates still get security fixes, through October 12, 2027. The same window still exists in Windows 11, and ncpa.cpl opens it there too.

Before you start

A few terms and checks make the rest of this guide easier to follow.

• Adapter: the network connection you want to change. “Ethernet” is a cable plugged into your PC, “Wi-Fi” is wireless. If you have both, change the one you actually use. A VPN or virtual machine app can add extra adapters with names like “Ethernet 2” or “vEthernet”; leave those alone unless you know they’re the target.
• TCP/IPv4 and TCP/IPv6: the two versions of the Internet Protocol. Most home settings (static IP address, DNS servers) are made on IPv4. IPv6 has its own Advanced window with only the IP Settings and DNS tabs.
• DHCP: the automatic setup your router normally does. When “Obtain an IP address automatically” is selected, the router hands out the address, gateway and usually the DNS servers.
• Write down what’s there now. Open Command Prompt, type ipconfig /all and press Enter. Note the IPv4 address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS servers for your adapter, or take a photo of the screen. If a change goes wrong, these numbers let you put things back.

Method 1: Open it with ncpa.cpl (fastest)

This route skips the Settings app and Control Panel completely. It works on every Windows 10 version.

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run box.
2. Type ncpa.cpl and press Enter or click OK. The Network Connections window opens and shows an icon for each adapter. A red X means the adapter is unplugged or disconnected; a gray icon means it’s disabled.
3. Right-click the adapter you use (for example Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and choose Properties. If Windows asks for permission, click Yes or enter an administrator password.

4. In the list labeled This connection uses the following items, click the words Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) so the line is highlighted. Don’t clear its check box, because that turns IPv4 off for the adapter.
5. Click the Properties button under the list. The Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties window opens on its General tab, showing either the “Obtain … automatically” options or the addresses you typed earlier.

6. Click Advanced in the lower-right corner. The Advanced TCP/IP Settings window opens on the IP Settings tab.

For IPv6, pick Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) in step 4 instead. Everything else is the same.

Method 2: Start from the Settings app

If you’d rather click than type, the Settings app links straight to the same Network Connections window.

1. Select Start > Settings (the gear icon), or press Windows key + I.
2. Select Network & Internet. The Status page opens first.
3. Scroll down to Advanced network settings and select Change adapter options. The Network Connections window opens in a separate window.
4. Continue from step 3 of Method 1: right-click the adapter, choose Properties, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), click Properties, then Advanced.

Method 3: Go through Control Panel

This is the classic path, handy if you already have Control Panel open.

1. Open Control Panel (type control panel in the search box on the taskbar and select it).
2. Select Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. If Control Panel is in icon view, select Network and Sharing Center directly.
3. In the left pane, select Change adapter settings.
4. Right-click your adapter, choose Properties, and follow steps 4 to 6 of Method 1.

Which one should you use? All three end at the same window, so pick whatever is quickest for you. ncpa.cpl is the fastest and doesn’t depend on Settings layout changes. The Settings route is easiest to remember if you don’t like typing commands.

What you can change on each tab

Click OK on each window you changed (Advanced, then the IPv4 Properties window, then the adapter’s Properties) to apply your changes. Clicking Cancel or closing a window with the X throws away changes made in that window.

IP Settings tab

• IP addresses: lists the adapter’s addresses and subnet masks. When the adapter uses DHCP, this box shows DHCP Enabled instead of an address. To add a second address to the same adapter (for example, to reach a device’s setup page on a different subnet), first choose Use the following IP address on the General tab and enter the main address, then come back here and click Add.
• Default gateways: the router address used to reach other networks and the internet. You can add more than one, but on a home PC one gateway is normal. Microsoft generally advises against adding default gateways on separate, unconnected networks.
• Automatic metric and Interface metric: Windows gives each connection a “cost” based on link speed and prefers the lowest. When a PC has both Ethernet and Wi-Fi, the faster link normally wins. To force a preference, clear Automatic metric and type a number in Interface metric; a lower number means higher priority. Microsoft’s explanation of the Automatic Metric feature lists the values Windows 10 assigns, for example 25 for a wired link between 200 Mb and 2 Gb.

DNS tab

• DNS server addresses, in order of use: Windows asks the first server, then the next. The General tab only has room for two DNS servers; this list lets you add more and use the green arrows to reorder them.
• Append primary and connection specific DNS suffixes or Append these DNS suffixes (in order): controls what Windows adds to a short name. If you add the suffix office.example.com, typing printer1 lets Windows look up printer1.office.example.com. This matters mostly on business networks.
• DNS suffix for this connection: a suffix for this adapter only. If you type one, it overrides the suffix a DHCP server hands out.
• Register this connection’s addresses in DNS: lets the PC record its own name and address with a company DNS server. It’s on by default and has no effect on a typical home router.

If all you want is to switch DNS providers, the General tab is enough. The full walk-through, including suggested server addresses, is in this guide to changing DNS servers in Windows 10.

WINS tab (IPv4 only)

• WINS addresses, in order of use: WINS is an old name service for NetBIOS computer names. Home networks don’t use it; leave the list empty unless an IT department gives you a server address.
• Enable LMHOSTS lookup: lets Windows use the LMHOSTS file to match NetBIOS names to addresses. Import LMHOSTS replaces that file rather than adding to it.
• NetBIOS setting: Default follows whatever the DHCP server says (NetBIOS stays on if it says nothing), Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP forces it on, and Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP turns it off. Some guides suggest disabling it for security. That’s reasonable on many networks, but very old devices or shares that depend on NetBIOS names may stop appearing, so change it only if you have a reason and know how to switch it back.

The WINS tab options are described on Microsoft’s IPv4 Advanced WINS tab reference, written for Windows Server 2008 but matching the same dialog in Windows 10.

Simpler option: Edit IP settings in the Settings app

Windows 10 also has a basic IP editor in Settings. It covers a static address and two DNS servers, but not extra addresses, metrics, DNS suffixes or WINS.

1. Open Settings > Network & Internet.
2. Select Ethernet and click your network, or select Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, pick your network and select Properties.
3. Under IP settings (labeled IP assignment on some builds), select Edit.
4. Choose Automatic (DHCP) or Manual. For Manual, turn on IPv4 and fill in the IP address, subnet prefix length (24 is the same as 255.255.255.0), gateway, preferred DNS and alternate DNS.
5. Select Save.

Microsoft’s network settings page also describes a DNS over HTTPS option on this screen, but states that it isn’t available in Windows 10, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see it. For the full static-address procedure, including how to pick an address your router won’t hand to another device, see the walk-through on how to change your IP address in Windows 10.

Command-line equivalents (netsh and PowerShell)

Commands are useful when you manage several PCs or can’t reach the dialog. Open Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell as administrator (right-click it in the Start menu search results and choose Run as administrator). Replace “Ethernet” with your adapter’s exact name from Network Connections, and the sample addresses with your own.

See the current IPv4 setup, including DNS and WINS servers:

netsh interface ipv4 show config name="Ethernet"

Set a static address, mask and gateway, then two DNS servers:

netsh interface ipv4 set address name="Ethernet" source=static address=192.168.1.50 mask=255.255.255.0 gateway=192.168.1.1
netsh interface ipv4 set dnsservers name="Ethernet" source=static address=192.168.1.1 register=primary
netsh interface ipv4 add dnsservers name="Ethernet" address=192.168.1.2 index=2

Go back to automatic (DHCP) for both:

netsh interface ipv4 set address name="Ethernet" source=dhcp
netsh interface ipv4 set dnsservers name="Ethernet" source=dhcp

The syntax is documented on Microsoft’s netsh interface reference. The PowerShell versions use New-NetIPAddress and Set-DnsClientServerAddress:

Get-NetAdapter
New-NetIPAddress -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet" -IPAddress 192.168.1.50 -PrefixLength 24 -DefaultGateway 192.168.1.1
Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet" -ServerAddresses ("192.168.1.1","192.168.1.2")
Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet" -ResetServerAddresses

Get-NetAdapter lists adapter names. Running New-NetIPAddress on an adapter that uses DHCP turns DHCP off for it, and the gateway must be in the same subnet as the address. The last line returns DNS to the servers your router provides.

Problems you might run into

• The adapter isn’t in Network Connections. Check that the Wi-Fi switch or cable is in place and that the adapter isn’t disabled (gray icon: right-click it and choose Enable). If it’s missing entirely, open Device Manager and look under Network adapters for a driver warning.
• Properties is grayed out or nothing saves. You’re signed in with a standard account. Sign in as an administrator or enter an administrator password when asked.
• The TCP/IPv4 line is missing from the list. Scroll the list; it’s sometimes below the visible area. If it’s really gone, a network reset (below) reinstalls the networking components.
• You can’t add a second IP address. The Add button under IP addresses needs a static address on the General tab first; it isn’t usable while the box shows DHCP Enabled.
• Windows warns that an address is already in use. Another device on the network has that address. Pick a different one, ideally outside your router’s DHCP range.
• Internet stopped working after a change. Usually the gateway or DNS server is wrong, or the address is on the wrong subnet. Go back to the General tab, select Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically, and click OK on each window.
• Your settings change back on their own. On a work PC, Group Policy or management software may enforce network settings. Some VPN and security apps also rewrite DNS while connected. Ask your IT department before fighting it.
• Nothing else helps. Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network reset removes and reinstalls every adapter and returns them to default settings. It also removes VPN adapters and saved settings, so use it last. The details are in this guide to resetting network settings in Windows 10.

Confirm your changes and undo them

Windows applies TCP/IP changes as soon as you click OK; a restart usually isn’t needed, though the connection may drop for a few seconds. To check the result, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /all. Under your adapter you should see the new address, gateway and DNS servers, and DHCP Enabled should read No if you set a static address. Then open a website to confirm the connection works. If you need help reading that output, see this explainer on finding your IP address in Windows 10.

To undo, reopen the window with any method above and either re-enter the values you wrote down or switch the General tab back to the two “Obtain … automatically” options. To remove an extra address, gateway or DNS server, select it in the Advanced window and click Remove.

FAQs

Is there a shortcut that opens the Advanced window directly?

No. Windows has no command that jumps straight to Advanced TCP/IP Settings. ncpa.cpl gets you closest: from there it’s three clicks (adapter Properties, TCP/IPv4 Properties, Advanced). If you open it often, right-click the desktop, choose New > Shortcut and enter ncpa.cpl as the location.

Why doesn’t the IPv6 Advanced window have a WINS tab?

WINS and NetBIOS name resolution only work over IPv4, so the IPv6 Advanced window shows just the IP Settings and DNS tabs. NetBIOS options for the adapter are always set from the IPv4 window.

Will these settings make my internet faster?

Not by themselves. This window controls addressing and name lookup, not throughput. A faster DNS server can make websites start loading a little sooner, and an interface metric can make Windows prefer Ethernet over Wi-Fi, but download speed depends on your connection and router. Tools that promise to “optimize TCP/IP” change different, lower-level settings, and Windows 10 already tunes those automatically.

Alex wants a fixed address for a game server. Is the router or the PC the better place to set it?

If your router supports DHCP reservations (often called “address reservation” or “static lease”), reserving an address for the PC there is usually simpler: the PC keeps “Obtain an IP address automatically” and still always gets the same address. Setting a static address in Windows also works, but you must pick one outside the router’s DHCP range to avoid conflicts.

Next step

Once you’ve confirmed the new settings with ipconfig /all, keep your written notes of the original values somewhere handy. If the PC ever moves to a different network, such as a new router or office, switch the General tab back to automatic first, since static addresses from the old network won’t work on the new one.