Choose a manual IP address or use DHCP
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a number that identifies each computer across the Internet or a network. When you connect to the Internet or an IP network, your computer needs an IP address.
Your IP address can be provided in two main ways:
Automatically: Your computer is assigned an address using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
Manually: Your ISP or network administrator gives you an IP address, and you enter it in the Network pane of System Preferences.
Follow these steps to enter your IP address or have it assigned automatically.
Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Network.
Select the network connection you want to use (such as Ethernet) in the list.
Click the Configure IPv4 pop-up menu, then choose an option:
If your address will be assigned automatically, choose Using DHCP.
If your ISP or administrator gave you an IP address, choose Manually and enter the address in the IP Address field. Your ISP most likely gave you additional information such as the subnet mask, router, and Domain Name System (DNS) server address. Enter the subnet mask and router in the labeled fields. To enter the DNS server address, click Advanced, click DNS, then click the Add button
and enter the address.
Note: Most IP addresses are IPv4 addresses, which look like a series of numbers separated by three periods, similar to this: 123.45.67.89. If you received an IP address that’s a longer series of numbers and letters, divided by seven colons (for example, fa80:0000:0000:0123:0203:93ee:ef5b:44a0), it’s a different type of IP address called IPv6. To enter an IPv6 address, in Network preferences, click Advanced. In TCP, change the Configure IPv6 pop-up menu to Manually, and enter your IPv6 address.