Quick Answer
Go to Settings > Network > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet), click the network you’re connected to, open the Network section, and switch “Name servers” and IP config from Automatic (DHCP) to Static. You’ll need to enter the IP address, gateway, subnet mask, and DNS servers manually, matching your router’s address range.
Why You’d Want a Static IP
By default, ChromeOS uses DHCP, which asks the router to assign an available IP address automatically every time you connect. That’s fine for normal browsing, but it becomes a problem when you need the Chromebook’s address to stay the same permanently, such as setting up port forwarding, remote desktop access, a local server, or router-level parental controls and firewall rules that target one specific device by IP.
Fix Steps
Step 1: Find your router’s IP range and gateway
Open Settings > Network, click your active connection, and check the current “Gateway” address (often something like 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). Your static IP needs to be on the same subnet but outside the range your router hands out via DHCP, to avoid a conflict with another device.
Step 2: Open the network’s detailed settings
Click the Wi-Fi or Ethernet network you want to configure, then click the arrow or gear icon to open its full settings page rather than the quick-connect panel.
Step 3: Switch the Name servers to a specific value (optional)
Under “Name servers,” you can leave this on the network default or pick a custom DNS provider like Google (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1). This step is independent of the static IP itself. Our guide on changing DNS settings covers this in more depth.
Step 4: Switch IP configuration from Automatic to Static
Scroll to the “IP address” or “Network” section, and toggle “Configure IP address automatically” off. This reveals fields for IP address, gateway, and subnet mask (usually 255.255.255.0).
Step 5: Enter the address details
Type in the IP address you chose in Step 1, the gateway address (your router’s IP), and the subnet mask. A typo in any of these three fields is the most common reason the connection fails immediately afterward, so double-check each one before saving.
Step 6: Reconnect and verify
Disconnect and reconnect to the network (or restart the Chromebook), then go back to the network’s settings page to confirm the IP address shown matches what you entered, rather than reverting to a DHCP-assigned address.
Still Not Fixed?
If the Chromebook loses internet access after switching to a static IP, the gateway or subnet mask is almost always the problem, since those two fields need to exactly match your router’s actual configuration. Switch back to Automatic, confirm the correct values from the router’s admin page, and try again. If you’re troubleshooting a network that shows connected but has no internet access at all, see our guide on a Chromebook that’s connected but has no internet.
FAQ
Does a static IP fix a slow or unstable connection?
No, a static IP just prevents the address from changing. It has no effect on Wi-Fi signal quality or speed. For that, see our guide on speeding up slow Wi-Fi.
Can I set a static IP for Ethernet and Wi-Fi separately?
Yes, each connection type has its own network settings page, so you can configure a static IP on Ethernet while leaving Wi-Fi on automatic DHCP, or the reverse.
Will this setting survive a Powerwash?
No. A Powerwash resets all network configurations back to default, so you’ll need to re-enter the static IP settings afterward.
