192.168.1.7 is a Class C private IPV4 address. It belongs to the reserved block of private addresses like all the other addresses from the 192.168.0.0/16 subnetwork. They all have the same purpose – they are reserved for use on private networks. Private IP addresses can’t be routed on the internet.
Some private addresses are assigned to routers, modems, and other networking devices by their manufacturers and they are called default gateways. There is no any difference between the default gateway addresses and other private IP addresses. Any private IP address can be assigned to a router. Still, some addresses are more popular (like 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.254) and other addresses are not.
192.168.1.7 is not a popular choice when it comes to default gateways but if your router’s default gateway IP address is 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.254, 192.168.1.7 can easily be assigned to your phone, tablet, or PC (assuming that 192.168.1.7 is one of the available addresses inside the DHCP pool and it probably is). This address can be assigned to your device automatically (dynamic IP) or manually (static IP).
192.168.1.7 as a Dynamic IP Address
If you don’t make any DHCP changes in your router’s configuration page, your home router (which is also your DHCP server) will assign an IP address to every device that gets connected to your home network. The pool of available addresses is predefined by the manufacturer and you can always change it (you can change the range or the number of available addresses). The router usually assigns addresses in a sequential order and if your default gateway is, let’s say, 192.168.1.1 and the DHCP pool of available addresses spans from 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.102, 192.168.1.7 will be assigned to the sixth device connected to your home network. This address will be leased to your device for a certain period of time (DHCP lease time) and after the lease time expires, the DHCP server (router) checks if you are still connected. If you are not connected, the address gets back to the DHCP pool and can be assigned to some other device. That’s why it’s called dynamic IP address. This means that some other IP address will be assigned to your device the next time.
192.168.1.7 as a Static IP Address
If for some reason, you need the same IP address assigned to your device every time that device gets connected to your home network, you need to assign it manually to your device (make it static). In order to do that, you can open router’s configuration page and make certain changes in the DHCP settings tab, or you can make some changes in the TCP/IPv4 settings and enter the IP address you want.
When assigning some address manually, you have to be careful and check if the address is already assigned to some other device. If it’s already taken, don’t assign it to your device until it gets available again. If you assign the address that’s already taken, you will cause an IP conflict.
Hello, I am Anthony Stuart…
I am writer and editor at RouterInstructions. I’ve been working as a network specialist for various employers for almost 15 years. In my lifetime, I have installed thousands of routers, modems, bridges, switches, etc. My job also includes designing, monitoring, and maintaining local area networks (LANs) as well as wide area networks (WANs). I want to share my knowledge and experience with you and help you understand the basics of IP addressing. I am also going to write about routers, network security, and other network-related topics.