Forcing a Cable Modem to get a new IP

[Ryan M.]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

Why?

My Earthlink modem will get a new IP everytime I reconnect or my lease runs out. It really doesn't matter what it is if you are connected. The IP that the cable or DSL sees (from the modem) is not the same IP that your computer or network see from the other side ( the network output).

Sometimes it's useful if you've been playing an online game and some guy with a thing against you decides that a ping flood would be fun. If you change your IP, he doesn't know where you've gone. Well, that's never happened to me, but it's definetly possible.

Try going into your router's config/admin page (typically 192.168.1.1 or .254. Check in your manual.) and finding the release and/or renew option. On my Hawking wireless router, it's on the "status" page, but on an older one it was under "advanced configuration." Look around.