Assign a Static IP Address to Windows Home Server

Andrew Gehman

Mar 29 |08:42

cmd_ip_intro There are a few reasons why you may want to configure your Windows Home Server with a static IP Address. One of the reasons, and the reason I wish to assign a static IP, is to setup remote access. Before I take a look at some of those features like Remote Access, I'll focus on laying the groundwork by setting up WHS with a static IP address.

Why use a static IP?

When we log in from across the Internet, our router needs to know which computer we want to connect to. To acheive this outcome, we'll configure port forwarding on our router. Thus, when we try to connect remotely, our router will know to "forward" our connection to the Windows Home Server.

Ok, so why the static IP? Well, if we have the computers on our network setup to obtain an IP address automatically through DHCP, the IP address is likely to change over time. So, a month from now the IP address may be different and when you go to log in, you won't be able to connect.

If your router supports UPnP you may not need the static IP. UPnP is a networking technology that enables devices to automatically connect with one another. However, UPnP is notoriously unreliable on many routers, so it's usually best to configure a static IP address anyway.

What IP Address should I use?

Some routers will support IP reservations. This will allow you to configure your router to "reserve" an IP address for a specific computer and always assign it the same address. However, alot of home routers don't support this. In these cases, I find it best to simply assign your Windows Home Server an IP Address outside of your IP address pool. This will eliminate the possibility of another computer getting assigned the same address.

Example: Say you have your router setup to assign addresses in the range of 192.168.1.2 - 192.168.1.10. If you assign your Home Server the address of 192.168.1.11, you'll still be on the same network and able to communicate to the other computers, but outside the pool so you won't get duplicate addresses.

What else do I need?

You'll need to get your default gateway and the IP addresses of your DNS servers. You can get that information this way. Steps may vary slightly depending on your version of Windows.

Go to Start > Run. In the Run box type CMD and click Enter.

This will display the information you need. Simply copy it down. (Or, memorize it if you're that smart... I'm not!)

Now we are ready to actually configure the Windows Home Server. To log in, we'll use the built-in Windows Remote Desktop. WHS should be configured by default to accept connections from the Remote Desktop. You could log in locally, but that's up to you. I much prefer to log in remotely because I don't have a mouse, keyboard, and monitor connected to my server.

Finding Remote Desktop may vary depending on your version of Windows, but can be found by going to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection or, Start > Programs > Accessories > Communications > Remote Desktop Connection. (Not sure how to use the Remote Desktop, here's how to use it to connect to Windows Home Server. )

Type in the name of the Server and click Connect.

You'll need to log into Windows Home Server with your username and password. Once you are logged into the Windows Home Server, go to Start > Control Panel > Network Connections > Local Area Connections.

On the Local Area Connection Status window, click the Properties button.

By default your WHS should be set to "Obtain an IP Address automatically." Click the "Use the following IP Address" radio button, and type in your static IP address. The Subnet Mask should auto-fill when you hit Tab.

Also, fill in the default gateway and DNS Server addresses that we recorded from our command window earlier.

Click OK when finished.

Note: You may get booted off your remote connection when you change the IP address. You'll probably want to log back in to verify the changes were made successfully.