How to Configure a Static IP Address on a Mac

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By Bennett Gavrish
eHow Contributing Writer

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(4 Ratings)

Network providers usually allow users to connect to the Internet automatically through an ethernet port, giving them a random IP address based on their location. However, it can be necessary to manually configure your network settings and designate a static IP address that will never change. This is especially useful when setting up web servers or other devices that need a consistent IP address. This article explains how to configure a static IP address on a Mac computer.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Mac running OS X 10.5 or later, ethernet connection

Step 1

Open System Preferences by clicking on the icon in the dock.
Step 2

Go to the "Network" control panel under the "Internet & Network" category.
Step 3

Select your ethernet connection from the list of available connections on the left side of the control panel window. Then click "Advanced" in the lower-right corner of the window.
Step 4

Click on the "TCP/IP" tab at the top of the control panel window.
Step 5

Choose "Manually" from the drop-down list at the top of the window.
Step 6

Enter your static IP address, subnet mask and router number into the appropriate fields
Step 7

Click "OK" to save your settings and connect through the static IP address.