Raspberry Pi is mostly about networking, and having a static IP address is a must if you are redirecting your internet traffic or connecting other network devices to RPi automatically. If the IP address keeps on changing, your whole setup breaks, and you need to manually re-configure the IP address. So to make things easier for you, here’s a handy guide to set a static IP address on Raspberry Pi. So on that note, let’s go ahead and find out how to reserve Raspberry Pi’s IP address.
We have discussed two methods to set a static IP address on Raspberry Pi in this article. If you are comfortable with the Terminal, you can go with the first method. But if you want to change it via a graphical interface, follow the router’s guide. You can move to any section from the table below.
- Set a Static IP Address Using Raspberry Pi’s TerminalUsing the Router Settings to Set Static IP on Raspberry Pi
Set a Static IP Address Using Raspberry Pi’s Terminal
First, open the Terminal if you are using the graphical user interface of Raspbian OS. You can also SSH into Raspberry Pi remotely to connect to the Terminal from your Mac, Windows PC, or smartphone.
Next, enter the below command to find out the current IP address of your Raspberry Pi. Note it down as we will use the current IP address to make it static.
After that, execute the below command to open the dhcpcd.conf file via Nano editor. Keep in mind that Nano is a keyboard-based editor, so you can’t use your mouse to move between lines and edit the file.
sudo nano /etc/dhcpcd.conf
Now, scroll down and move to the bottom. Here, you will find four lines starting with “interface”.
Move to “static ip_address” and change the highlighted part in the screenshot below to your current IP address of the Raspberry Pi (that we noted in step #2). If you wish, you can assign a custom IP address too. You don’t need to touch anything else.
Now, to save the file, press “Ctrl + X” and hit enter. Finally, press “Y” to save the changes.
That’s it. You have assigned a static IP address to your Raspberry Pi in a few easy steps. Now, your router will only use the static IP address you have set for your Raspberry Pi.
Using the Router Settings to Set Static IP on Raspberry Pi
If you don’t want to mess with Raspberry Pi’s Terminal, there is another easy way to set a static IP address on Raspberry Pi. You need to access your router’s admin page. Generally, it’s 192.168.0.1, but it can differ based on your router. You may have to look on the internet to find the router’s address.
Next, you need to look for the “DHCP server” or “Address Reservation” option. I am using a TP-Link Archer C6 router, and the DHCP server setting is available under Advanced -> Network. For other routers, it may be present under a different page, so we suggest you look it up on the internet and find the settings page.
Here, scroll down and move to the “Address Reservation” section. Basically, you can reserve the IP address of the Raspberry Pi, so it’s not assigned to any other device in your home network. In tandem, you are assigning a static IP to Raspberry Pi via your router.
Click on “Add” and enter the IP address of Raspberry Pi in the “Reserved IP Address” field. You can find the IP address of your RPi board by entering hostname -I in the Terminal. To find the MAC address of your RPi, scroll down and look for the client list mentioned on the same admin page. Next, give a name in the “Description” field and turn on the “Enable This Entry” checkbox. Finally, click on “Save”. It will reserve Raspberry Pi’s current IP address, making it a static IP.
In case, you are unable to find the MAC address of your Raspberry Pi, open the Terminal on RPi and run ifconfig. Under “wlan0”, check the value of “ether”. That’s the MAC address of your RPi.
Finally, restart your router, and Raspberry Pi will now always be allotted the same IP address that you reserved on your router.
