How to Change IP Address in Linux: Full Guide 2025

Cloudtechtiq December 20, 2024

0 334 2 minutes read

In 2025, Linux continues to be one of the most influential and flexible operating systems, especially regarding networking. Whether you’re a sysadmin configuring servers, a developer needing a specific IP setup, or just a curious user learning Linux, knowing how to change IP address in Linux. This complete guide will walk you through various ways to change your IP address in Linux, both temporarily and permanently, using terminal commands and GUI tools.

Why Change Your IP Address?

Changing your IP address can be necessary for several reasons:

Configuring servers or services that require a static IP address.

Avoiding IP conflicts on your network when two devices accidentally share the same IP.
Troubleshooting network issues, such as slow connections or connectivity errors.
Privacy purposes, such as masking your location when using the internet.

Linux offers robust options for changing IP addresses. The method you choose depends on whether you want a temporary or permanent change and your Linux distribution.

Understanding IP Addresses

Before diving into how to change the IP address, it’s important to understand the types of IP addresses you might encounter:

Dynamic IP Addresses are assigned automatically by a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server and can change over time.
Static IP Addresses: Manually assigned and remain constant, commonly used for servers, routers, or any machine that requires a fixed location in the network.

Temporary vs. Permanent IP Changes

Temporary IP changes affect only the current session. After rebooting, the system will revert to its previous settings.
Permanent IP changes: Will persist across reboots, ensuring your IP settings remain intact.

Temporary IP Address Change Using Terminal

You can use the config or the more modern IP command for a quick, non-persistent change. These methods do not require editing configuration files and are helpful for temporary changes.

Using the ifconfig Command

The ifconfig command is part of the net-tools package and is commonly used for older systems. However, it’s being phased out in favour of IP.

First, check the current IP address:

Ifconfig

This will display the current network interface settings.

To change the IP address for a specific interface (e.g., eth0), use:

sudo ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.100 netmask 255.255.255.0

Replace eth0 with your network interface name (eth0, ens33, enp3s0, etc.).
Replace 192.168.1.100 with the new IP address you want to assign.
Netmask 255.255.255.0 is the subnet mask typically used in most home and small office networks.
To set the default gateway:

sudo route add default gw 192.168.1.1

Replace 192.168.1.1 with your network’s gateway IP (usually your router)

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Conclusion

We hope you like to read our blog on how to change IP address in Linux. In this blog, we share all the information about this topic. Changing your IP address in Linux is a crucial networking skill that can be achieved temporarily and permanently. Whether you use terminal commands like ifconfig and ip or modify configuration files for a more permanent setup, Linux provides flexible options for network management. This 2025 guide should help you confidently change your IP address, troubleshoot issues, or easily configure your network.