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DHCP Reservation: Give a Device the Same IP Address Every Time

Reserve a fixed IP address for a printer, NAS, server or game console in your router, with the steps and what to do if it will not stick.

A DHCP reservation tells your router to always hand the same private address to one device, identified by its hardware (MAC) address. It is the easiest way to keep an address steady for port forwarding, printers and home servers, and the device keeps using normal settings.

Steps

  1. Log in to your router. Use the router IP finder if you do not know the address.
  2. Find the device’s MAC address in its network settings, or in the router’s list of connected devices.
  3. Open the router’s LAN, DHCP or Address Reservation settings. The menu name differs by brand.
  4. Add a reservation: pick the device or type its MAC address, and choose a private address inside your router’s range, outside any pool you use for other things.
  5. Save, then restart the device or renew its connection so it picks up the reserved address.
  6. Check the address in the device’s network settings, and update any port forwarding rule that used the old one.

If the reservation does not work

The device keeps getting a different address
Restart it or turn its Wi-Fi off and on. Some phones use a random MAC address for each network. Turn that off for your home network so the reservation matches.
Two devices have the same address
The reserved address is already in use. Pick another one, or lower the router’s DHCP range so it cannot hand out that address.
The reservation option is missing
Some ISP routers hide it. You can set a static address on the device instead, outside the router’s DHCP range.

Questions people ask about DHCP reservation

What is the difference between a reservation and a static IP?
A reservation is set in the router, and the device still asks for its address. A static IP is typed into the device itself, so it should sit outside the router’s DHCP range.
Which address range should I use?
Stay inside your router’s private range, such as 192.168.1.x. Private ranges are defined in RFC 1918.

Last checked 2026-10-11. Default logins differ by model, so always check the label on your router first. Sources: RFC 1918: private address ranges · RFC 2131: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

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