IPNETSHIFT by KentDevTools (Documentation)

Everything you need to install, configure, and run IPNetShift, the free Windows 10/11 tool that automatically rotates your local IP address on every restart.

Introduction

IPNetShift is a free Windows utility built by KentDevTools that automatically changes your local IP address on every restart. It does this by rotating your network adapter’s MAC address before each DHCP request, causing your router to treat your PC as a new device and assign the next available IP.

The core idea: Your router assigns the same IP every time because it recognizes your MAC address. By changing the MAC address before connecting, IPNetShift appears as a new device, and your router assigns a fresh IP from its pool. 192.168.2.50 → restart → 192.168.2.51 → restart → 192.168.2.52.

Requirements

Requirement	Minimum	Notes
operating_system	Windows 10 or Windows 11	64-bit recommended
python_version	Python 3.8+	Free at python.org must be in PATH
privileges	Administrator	Required for registry writes and netsh
network_adapter	Ethernet or Wi-Fi	Ethernet has better MAC spoof support
python_library	Pillow (auto-installed)	Only needed for logo/icon display
disk_space	~10 MB	Including Python if not installed

Installation

1

Download the zip.

Download ipnetshift.zip from the download page. It contains all files; no installer is required.

2

Extract to a permanent folder

Right-click the ZIP → Extract All. Place the folder somewhere permanent, like do not run it from your downloads folder.

3

Install Python 3.8+ (if needed)

Download Python from python.org/downloads. During installation, tick “Add Python to PATH”; this is essential for the launcher to find Python.

4

Launch via Run IPNetShift.bat

Double-click Run IPNetShift.bat. It will automatically request administrator rights (click “Yes”) and silently install Pillow on the first run. The app will open within a few seconds.

⚠ Administrator rights required: IPNetShift needs administrator privileges to write to the network adapter registry key and manage the adapter via netsh. The launcher handles UAC elevation automatically; just approve the prompt.

Quick Start

1

Select your network adapter

In the Network Adapter dropdown, select your active adapter. Choose Ethernet a wired connection or Wi-Fi a wireless one. Click ↻ to refresh the list if needed.

2

Choose Sequential or Random mode

Select Sequential for a predictable .50 → .51 → .52 rotation, or Random for a random IP each run. Sequential is recommended for most users.

3

Click ⚡ CHANGE IP NOW

The button turns amber, and the log updates in real time. The process takes about 10 seconds: MAC write → adapter reset → DHCP renewal. Your new IP appears at the top when done.

Rotation Modes

IPNetShift offers two modes that control how the new MAC address (and therefore new IP) is generated each run.

Recommended

Sequential

Increments the last 3 bytes of the MAC by 1 on each run. Your router assigns IPs in order: .50 → .51 → .52 predictable, clean, and easy to track.

Random

Random

Generates a completely random MAC suffix each run. Your router assigns whatever free IP is available next, different and unpredictable each time.

ℹ The MAC prefix stays the same Both modes use the same prefix (default). The 02 first byte marks it as a “locally administered” address, the standard range for software-assigned MACs that won’t conflict with real hardware.

Auto-run on Boot

To have IPNetShift automatically rotate your IP every time Windows starts silently, with no window or interaction:

1

Open IPNetShift as administrator.

Use Run IPNetShift.bat which handles elevation automatically.

2

Tick the startup checkbox

Check “Automatically rotate IP on every Windows startup.” IPNetShift creates a task scheduler task named IPNetShiftAutoRun.

3

Verify in Task Scheduler (optional)

Search for “Task Scheduler” in the Start menu. You can also modify, disable, or delete the task from there manually.

To disable auto-run, uncheck the same box in the app. The task is deleted automatically.

Settings Reference

Settings are saved automatically ipnetshift_config.json in the app folder. You can also edit this file in any text editor.

Key	Default	Description
adapter_name	“”	Windows adapter name (e.g., Ethernet, Wi-Fi). Set by the dropdown.
mode	“sequential”	Rotation mode. Values: sequential or random.
mac_prefix	“02:AB:CD”	First 3 bytes of the spoofed MAC. Keep the first byte as is.
last_mac_suffix	[0, 0, 0]	Internal sequential counter. Do not edit manually.
startup_enabled	false	Whether the Task Scheduler auto-run is active.

How It Works

IPNetShift uses three Windows mechanisms in sequence to reliably obtain a new IP address from your router.

Step 1: Generate new MAC address

A new MAC address is computed using the configured prefix (02:AB:CDby default) and either an incremented suffix (sequential) or random 3-byte suffix (random mode). The 02 prefix byte sets the “locally administered” bit, which is the standard marker for software-assigned MACs.

Step 2: Write to Windows registry

The new MAC (without colons) is written to the NetworkAddress registry value under the adapter’s driver class key:

Registry PathHKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class
  \{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
  \{adapter_subkey}
  \NetworkAddress = "02ABCDXXXXXX"

Step 3: Disable and re-enable adapter

The adapter is disabled via the command line and then re-enabled after 2 seconds. This forces the Windows network driver to reload the MAC address from the registry into hardware-level registers.

Step 4: Release + renew DHCP lease

With the new MAC active, it ipconfig /release drops the existing DHCP lease and ipconfig /renew sends a fresh DHCPDISCOVER broadcast. Your router sees the new MAC, treats it as a new device, and assigns the next available IP from its pool.

Why does the order matter? The registry write alone isn’t enough; you must cycle the adapter for the driver to pick up the new MAC. And the DHCP renewal must happen after the adapter is back online with the new MAC loaded. IPNetShift handles all of this in the correct sequence automatically.

File Reference

ipnetshift.py Main Python application. Contains all logic: GUI, MAC rotation, registry writes, adapter management, and DHCP renewal.

Run IPNetShift.batLauncher batch file. Auto-requests UAC elevation, checks for Python, installs Pillow on first run, then starts the app.

IPNetShift_Logo.jpg: Header logo displayed at the top of the app window.

IPNetShift_Icon.jpg: Window icon shown in the Windows taskbar and title bar.

ipnetshift_config.json Auto-created on first run. Stores your adapter name, mode, MAC prefix, sequential counter, and startup setting.

ipnetshift_log.txt Auto-created on first run. Timestamped log of every IP change operation, including MAC values, commands, and resulting IPs.

README. mdPlain-text quick-start guide bundled with the download.

FAQ

Troubleshooting

IP did not change after clicking the button

Ensure you launched it via the handler Run IPNetShift.bat that handles administrator elevation. Check the log panel for “Access denied” errors. If present, close the app and re-run via the .bat file.

“Could not find registry key” in the log

This is a warning, not a fatal error the app falls back to the netsh method. If the IP still doesn’t change, try going to Device Manager → your adapter → Properties → Advanced tab and look for a “Network Address” field. Setting it once manually confirms your adapter supports MAC spoofing.

App won’t open / crashes immediately

Open Command Prompt and run it python --version to confirm Python is installed. If not found, reinstall Python and tick “Add Python to PATH.” Then run python ipnetshift.py directly in the terminal to see the full error message.

Startup task not created / deleted after unticking

The Task Scheduler write requires administrator privileges. Confirm the app is running as administrator. You can also create or delete the task manually: open Task Scheduler, create a basic task named IPNetShiftAutoRun “Trigger On Log On,” action: pythonw.exe "C:\IPNetShift\ipnetshift.py" --silent.

ℹ Check the log file Open ipnetshift_log.txt in the app folder. Every operation is logged with a timestamp, command, and output. Most issues are visible there within seconds of running the tool.

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