What Does Renew Lease on WiFi Mean?

A lease refers to a temporary IP address that the dynamic host configuration protocol, or DHCP, gives you when you connect to a wireless network. Every time you log into a wireless network, the DHCP lease changes again. This means a new IP address.

The renew lease process means you change to a new IP address manually rather than automatically.

You might wonder why you should go through the renew lease process. Why get a new IP address? Here are some reasons why you might want to do it.

1. You’re experiencing connection issues. Sometimes a new IP address can help that.
2. You have an IP address conflict, such as the IP address being blocked from a website.
3. If there’s been a router reconfiguration, the renew lease process could fix any connectivity issues.

We explained a bit about the DHCP lease. Now, let’s go into it deeper. When using a WiFi network, think of obtaining an IP address as renting it. Then, once you’re done using it, you return the IP address to its rightful place.

Once the lease duration, the time you’re using it, expires, you stop communicating on the IP address network. This process helps ensure that multiple devices aren’t using the same IP address, creating conflicts.

It depends. The router or DHCP server will issue the next available IP to the next device that requests one. If the same IP is available, often the server will issue the same IP you had before.

The renew lease process can change depending on what device you use.

For iOS devices, it’s simple to renew your lease and change IP addresses. Let’s look at how.

1. Go to your WiFi settings, which you can access through the Settings app.
2. Click on the WiFi network and then click the ‘i’ icon.
3. You should see a Renew Lease button. Tap it once, then again to confirm.
4. If, for whatever reason, you cannot find the Renew Lease button, forget the network and log on again.

The process for Android users is a bit more complicated for Android users but still simple. Let’s explain what you need to do.

1. Like iOS users, you want to visit your Wi-Fi network by going to Settings, then clicking on Connections, which should show you the Wi-Fi settings. Once there, select the Wi-Fi network you’re connected to.
2. Click the gear icon on the right side of the Wi Fi network you’re connected to, then tap the Forget option located at the bottom of the settings.
3. After that, log in to the Wi Fi network again. Once you enter your credentials, you should receive a different IP address than your initial assigned IP address.

For Windows XP and beyond:

1. Open the Command Prompt and type “ipconfig/release” (without quotation marks) then hit enter.
2. Once you’ve received confirmation, type “ipconfig/renew” (without quotation marks) and enter.
3. If you have enterd the command correctly, you should see a new IP address assigned to you.

For Mac OS:

1. Go to Setting and click on System Preferences
2. Go to Internet and Network and select Network
3. Select the tab labeled TCP/IP
4. On the right side of the screen, you should see an option to Renew DHCP Lease. Click on that, click OK, and exit. You now have a new WiFi lease.

Your WiFi lease should renew. If it doesn’t, selecting Windows Diagnostic Tool can help with the process if you’re using Windows. Resetting the network settings also works.

Alternatively, you can check your router by logging in and reset it. The process differs depending on your ISP, so contact them for more questions.

Changing your current IP address will not make your Internet go faster. The bandwidth from your internet service provider, distance from device to the router, and other factors determine an Internet’s speed.

When you go through the lease renewal process, it should take little to no time. However, the length it takes for a network to locate a new IP address can change. Therefore, you might be experiencing connection issues if it takes longer than usual for the lease renewal.

Yes. Renewing the lease does not reset the network, meaning that you’re not in any danger of having your information exposed. Therefore, the process is about as dangerous as refreshing a page.