“Stable connections, predictable addressing, and fewer networking headaches — that’s the power of static IPs.”

Whether you’re building a smart home hub, running a local web server, or setting up a Pi-hole, giving your Raspberry Pi a static IP address is one of the smartest networking steps you can take. No more wondering what your Pi’s IP is after a reboot — it’ll always be right where you left it.

This article walks you through how to do it like a pro using nmcli (NetworkManager’s command-line interface), and also offers a quick detour for those using the Raspberry Pi Desktop environment.

🛠️ CLI First: Setting a Static IP with nmcli

If you’re running Raspberry Pi OS Lite or prefer SSH and the terminal (and we salute you for it), nmcli is a clean, powerful way to configure your networking.

✅ Step 1: Identify Your Connection

Open a terminal or SSH session and run:

bashCopyEditnmcli con show

This will list all connections. Look for something like:

nginxCopyEditWired connection 1

(If you’re on Wi-Fi, it might show wlan0 or similar.)

✅ Step 2: Set the Static IP

Here’s the full command to set a static IP address:

bashCopyEditnmcli con mod "Wired connection 1" \
  ipv4.addresses 192.168.0.198/24 \
  ipv4.gateway 192.168.0.1 \
  ipv4.dns "192.168.0.90 192.168.0.92" \
  ipv4.method manual

✔️ Replace values to match your local network settings:

• 192.168.0.198/24 — your desired static IP address
• 192.168.0.1 — your gateway/router IP
• 192.168.0.90 and 192.168.0.92 — your DNS servers (could be Pi-hole or Google DNS)

✅ Step 3: Restart the Connection

Activate the new settings with:

bashCopyEditnmcli con down "Wired connection 1" && nmcli con up "Wired connection 1"

Or reboot the Pi:

bashCopyEditsudo reboot

After rebooting, confirm the new IP:

bashCopyEditip a

🖼️ GUI Option: Using the Raspberry Pi Desktop

If you’re running Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop, setting a static IP is even easier — here’s how.

📋 Step-by-Step via GUI:

1. Click the network icon in the top right of the taskbar (next to the clock).
2. Select Wired Settings or Wi-Fi Settings, depending on your connection.
3. Click the gear ⚙️ icon next to your connection name.
4. Go to the IPv4 tab.
5. Change the method from Automatic (DHCP) to Manual.
6. Enter your:
   • Address (e.g. 192.168.0.198)
   • Netmask (e.g. 255.255.255.0)
   • Gateway (e.g. 192.168.0.1)
7. Enter DNS servers like 192.168.0.90, 192.168.0.92.
8. Click Apply, and reconnect the interface or reboot.

💡 Tip:

Use .local domain names (like raspberrypi.local) only if mDNS is enabled and you’re on a LAN that supports it. For headless setups, a static IP is far more reliable.

🧠 Bonus Tips

• 🔒 Reserve your IP in the router: Even with static IPs, it’s smart to also reserve that IP on your router to prevent IP conflicts.
• 📜 Use nmcli con show <connection> | grep ipv4 to verify your current settings.
• 🧪 Test before you reboot. Disconnect and reconnect the connection with nmcli to ensure everything works smoothly.

🎯 Conclusion

Setting a static IP is a small step that pays off big in network stability and service reliability. Whether you’re configuring your Raspberry Pi as a local DNS resolver, web server, or just a dependable smart node, nmcli gives you precise control — no cables unplugged, no desktop required.

Ready to go pro? Set it once, forget it forever. 💻🔌