IP SHIFTER

Computers identify themselves over the information superhighway by a set of numerical values known as the IP address. There can’t be two computers using one address, with differences found even in local networks. With programs like IP SHIFTER you can create profiles to quickly change an IP address, given it’s available.

The installation process takes only a little while, and you’re able to quickly check out the set of features. Be sure you’re running it with administrator privileges, because important changes to the system are made when changing the IP address, so not every regular computer user is able to mess things up.

The visual design is pretty simple, letting you accommodate in the blink of an eye. A large area is used to show all profiles you create, along with details like name, adapter interface, IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway. Certain areas use different colors to make it easy and clear to tell what specific value sets mean.

Adding a new profile requires little effort, but it does count on your attention. After writing down a name, a new window pops up and lets you configure new settings for an adapter interface you select from a drop-down menu. IP choice can be set to an automatic detection, or to manual input with requirement fields for IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway.

Depending on your choice of IP selection, the DNS server fields are filled in accordingly. An extra set of configurations can be brought up. This panel gives you the possibility to set custom parameters for Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, such as enabling Proxy, or running an automatic configuration script.

IP SHIFTER comes with some extra tools that come in handy to network administrators. One of them lets you simply ping a specific address, with a different one that scans all devices in your network, and shows corresponding addresses.

When not used, the application can be sent to the tray. The icon created there lets you close the program, or better yet, switch to different profiles with only a few mouse clicks. What’s more, profiles you create can be saved locally as HTML files, with the option to load them later on.

All things considered, we can safely state that IP SHIFTER is a practical network utility that comes in handy for experimenting with network issues related to IP addresses, or just a better management solution for more connected computers. The interface is simple and lets anyone quickly accommodate, while the overall set of features manages to live up to expectations.