Every device on a WiFi network gets assigned a unique IP address by the router. But that IP address assignment is only "leased" out for a specified corporeality of time. Later on that time runs out, your device has to renew its lease.

Renew lease on WiFi means your device needs to request a new IP address from the router because the one it was previously assigned is no longer bachelor. Tap the "Renew Charter" push in the WiFi information menu, or toggle the WiFi off and back on over again to renew the lease.

What is a WiFi lease?

A WiFi charter (also called a DHCP charter) is a manner for a router to manage devices that are connected to the network. When a device connects to the router, the router assigns it a local IP address using a service called DHCP.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a client/server protocol that automatically provides an Internet Protocol (IP) host with its IP address.

The router will employ a device's MAC Accost to first identify it on the network, and then information technology volition assign information technology the same IP address the next time information technology connects.

You can think of the MAC address as a Vehicle Identification Number (VINs), which is unique to each car. IP addresses are more like license plates, which tin can be reassigned or transferred to different cars.

The IP accost will be reserved for the amount of fourth dimension the DHCP lease catamenia has been set to, in most cases 24 hours. (The router admin can manually gear up a DHCP lease time and a DHCP IP range, details on how to do this below).

If the device does not reconnect subsequently the specified lease time, that IP address will go bachelor for other devices to connect to.

Problems can occur when you lot connect to a public network that has a short DHCP lease fourth dimension and only a few bachelor IP address slots. For instance, airports or coffee shops oft have many people connected to the same network.

If you connected to a WiFi network once earlier, but at present yous're receiving a "Renew Lease on WiFi" message, it means the IP address that was reserved for you is at present in employ by someone else.

To prepare that issue y'all can either turn off WiFi on your device and then reconnect, or tap the "Renew Lease" push button in the network settings on your phone.

renew WiFi lease on iphone

In the majority of cases, your device should automatically request an IP accost from the router, and all of these actions volition have place behind the scenes without you lot even knowing.

Modify local network IP address

Most of the time, tapping the renew lease push button will provide y'all with a new IP accost.

Only, sometimes your router can automatically reassign your device to the same IP address, which defeats the purpose.

To force your router to alter IP addresses, you can:

  1. "Forget the Network" or your device and reconnect OR
  2. Close downwardly the router for thirty seconds and then plough information technology back on. This will reset all the settings and assign new IP addresses.

If yous're notwithstanding having bug, you probable assigned your device a static IP address.

Static IP accost

If y'all're in charge of the router y'all're connecting to, you lot might take set your devices to use a static IP ( knowingly, or unknowingly), instead of setting an automatic IP assignment.

It's also possible y'all accidentally configured 2 devices to utilize the same IP accost. When this happens, you lot will likely receive a WiFi lease expired warning, and neither device will connect to the net. On Windows, you will come across an "IP Accost Conflict" alert next to your network adapter.

To resolve this, make sure the network carte du jour is using automatic DHCP instead of static, or you could endeavour manually inbound a unlike IP address.

That said, setting a static IP address is useful when it is critical that a data connection is not interrupted

How to set a static IP accost

Setting a static IP address is helpful for people on computers who demand to forrad specific IP addresses for hosting services and other network features. A real earth example of this would be network impress servers.

It too helps make information technology easier to share files using file share apps because you tin remember which IP each of your devices is using on the network. Not to mention VPNs commonly require static network settings.

Windows x

On Windows ten correct-click your network adapter icon in the bottom right tray and select "Open up Network and Internet Settings".

Click on "Backdrop" under your network information and so take notation of the information. Click on Edit and choose Manual and and so toggle IPv4.

set static IP address on Windows 10

Next, yous volition need to fill out the information. Yous can utilize the same IP address every bit earlier, and the gateway is the router's admin page, information technology's usually the get-go IPv4 DNS Server IP address.

If you're non certain, the router should have the information printed on the rear side. The subnet mask is unremarkably 255.255.255.0.

Y'all will also need to enter a DNS server, which could be any DNS, only information technology's recommended to utilise a well-known one, or stick to the default from your ISP.

When y'all change the IP assignment setting the network connection will reset. If the configuration is right, you volition be able to use the cyberspace equally usual and your IP address will remain the same until you change it.

On iPhone

Open your Settings and tap on the WiFi menu.

Tap the information icon next to the WiFi network. From there, select Configure IP and select Manual from the listing.

You will need to enter the same information as in a higher place. Tap on Salvage and and then select Configure DNS and cull Manual.

Enter your preferred DNS server, save the settings, and connect to the network. If the settings are correct, no warnings will announced and you tin can connect to the internet.

On Android

Open Settings, Connections, and WiFi.

Tap on your currently continued WiFi and swipe down until you see an "Advanced" button. Under IP settings change DHCP to Manual and fill in all the relevant information.

The skilful news is Android will save the previous settings so yous don't need to manually fill in every field. Tap on Save and run into if it works.

Setting DHCP lease time every bit a network admin

If you're the admin of a network, you can easily manually configure the DHCP lease fourth dimension. It's usually a good idea to add some restrictions to the DHCP. This style you limit the number of devices that tin can connect. You can also reserve specific IPs for your devices.

For starters, enter the router'due south configuration page. The address will vary depending on the router's model, only you tin can normally discover a sticker on the back of the router with the information.

If you lot never changed the router's login details, they'll be the default username and password which is also printed on the router.

The exact menu options will vary depending on your router. In most cases, the DHCP settings are constitute under WAN/LAN options.

You'll see DHCP is enabled and you can choose a Lease Time equally well as an IP range. If your router is public, I recommend using a short lease time such as one or 2 hours. If it'southward a private network, yous can put the maximum lease time or simply leave information technology on default.

Note: Lease times are oftentimes set in seconds. And then for example, a Charter Time of 3600 would exist 1 hour.

DHCP lease time

The DHCP range is the range of IP addresses that are available to the router to assign. In near cases, the default is 10 – 199, but yous tin can increase or decrease information technology, depending on your needs. The default settings are usually good plenty.

If you want to limit access to a certain number of devices, you can subtract the range from 10 – 50 or something like. Limiting the connections can help prevent devices from eating up the bandwidth and slowing downwards the connection for anybody.

You'll probable see a feature called Reserved IP here as well. It will tell the router to assign a specific IP to the MAC address on the list.

Information technology'south some other way to add a static IP to your devices. You will need to find the MAC address of the device you wish to add. You lot tin sometimes discover the MAC address of all connected devices from inside the router's page, forth with their network name.

Conclusion

Devices on a WiFi network get assigned a unique IP address by the router. Merely that IP address assignment is simply "leased" out for a specified amount of fourth dimension.

This is usually simply an upshot when yous're connected to a public network. Due to the shear number of connections they have to conform, public WiFi networks take shorter DHCP charter times. This helps limit access.

If your device's WiFi lease has run out, its fourth dimension to renew it and get a new IP address. To renew:

  • Tap the "Renew Charter" button under your WiFi network on your phone OR
  • Plow your device'southward WiFi off and so dorsum on. This should automatically reset the lease.

If information technology's critical that the data connection with your device is not interrupted and you're an admin on the network, you should consider setting a static IP address. Simply brand sure the IP address yous configure doesn't conflict with whatever other devices on your network.

Otherwise, fix DHCP to "automatic" under IP settings to automate IP address assignments.