When you search the internet, the sites you visit can see your public IP address, which allows them to track you.
So you might wonder how to change your public IP address to prevent tracking.
In this post, we discuss whether you can change your public IP address by getting a new router or modem. We also explain several other ways to easily change your public IP without changing your router or modem.
Here’s Whether Getting A New Router Or Modem Change The Public/Private IP Addresses:
A new modem can change your dynamic public IP address; even a simple modem restart can change the dynamic public IP. On the other hand, a new router will not change your public IP; it will only change the private IP addresses assigned to your LAN devices.
Can A New Router Or Modem From The Same ISP Change Your Public/Private IP Addresses?
When you get a new modem from your ISP, your public IP address can change.
Most ISPs assign public IP addresses using DHCP, so your public IP is dynamic, and it can even change when you restart the modem. Therefore, a new modem from the same ISP will change your public IP address.
On the other hand, if you have a static IP address from your ISP, it will not change when you change your modem. Your ISP will assign the same static IP to your new modem.
Moreover, changing your router will not change your public IP address. It is the modem that determines your public IP, not the router.
However, a new router can change the private IP addresses of your PC, laptop, phone, or any other device connected to the router’s local area network.
LAN devices get their private IP addresses from the router using DHCP, and DHCP is first come, first served basis. So with a new router, the devices on the local area network can get different private IPs than before.
If you want to retain the original private IP addresses, you must configure them to be static on the new router’s settings and set them to the original private IPs.
Does Switching To A New ISP Change Your Public/Private IP Addresses?
Your public IP address will change when you switch to a new ISP. Different ISPs have different ranges of public IP addresses, so you can’t get the same public IP address from two ISPs.
On the other hand, when you switch to a new ISP and keep your old router, you’ll have the same private IP addresses on the LAN as before. If you also change the router, private IPs will also change.
How To Change Your Public IP Address Without Getting A New Router Or Modem
You don’t have to get a new router or modem to change your public IP address.
If your public IP is not static, you can simply restart your modem to change the public IP. You’ll get a different public IP address from your ISP using DHCP.
You can also use a VPN to change your public IP address. Then the websites you visit will see the VPN server’s IP address instead of your own public IP.
Similarly, you can use a proxy server to change your public IP. In this case, the websites you visit will see the proxy server’s IP address.
You can also switch to a different ISP to change your public IP address.
How To Use Your Old Public/Private IP Addresses With Your New Router Or Modem
If you want to keep your old public IP address with a new modem, you have to get a static IP from your ISP. Then a new modem from the same ISP will give you the same public IP as before.
However, you’ll get a different public IP address when you change the ISP. Because different ISPs have different public IP ranges, you can’t get your old static IP from your new ISP.
On the other hand, if you want to keep the same private IP addresses with a new router, you have to reconfigure the new router to assign private IPs similar to the old router. Most routers allow you to configure static private IPs for the connected devices.
Conclusion
A new modem will change your public IP address unless you have a static IP from your ISP.
However, you don’t have to get a new modem to change your public IP. A simple modem restart can also change your dynamic public IP address.
You’ll also get a different public IP address when you switch to a new ISP. Different ISPs have different public IP ranges, so two ISPs can’t give you the same public IP.
On the other hand, a new router will not change your public IP, but it will change the private IP addresses assigned to your LAN devices.