How to Check Your Computer's IP Address (Every Method, Every OS)

Your IP address is your computer's identifier on a network — and knowing how to find it is one of those fundamental tech skills that comes up more often than you'd expect. Whether you're troubleshooting a connection issue, setting up a home server, or configuring port forwarding on your router, the process differs depending on your operating system, network setup, and which type of IP address you actually need.

Local IP vs. Public IP: Know Which One You're Looking For

Before diving into steps, it helps to understand that your computer actually has two different IP addresses in most home or office setups.

• Local IP address (also called a private IP): This is the address your router assigns to your computer within your home or office network. It typically starts with 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, or 172.16.x.x. Only devices on your local network can see this address.
• Public IP address: This is the address your internet service provider (ISP) assigns to your router. It's visible to websites and services outside your network. All devices in your home usually share one public IP.

Most troubleshooting tasks — like connecting two devices on the same Wi-Fi — require the local IP. Tasks like configuring remote access or checking your VPN often require the public IP.

How to Find Your Local IP Address

On Windows

The fastest method is through Command Prompt:

1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and hit Enter
2. Type ipconfig and press Enter
3. Look for IPv4 Address under your active network adapter (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)

You'll see something like 192.168.1.105. That's your local IP.

For a more visual approach, go to Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) → Click your connection → Properties. Scroll down to find the IPv4 address listed there.

On macOS

1. Click the Apple menu → System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
2. Go to Network
3. Select your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)
4. Your IP address appears directly on that screen

Alternatively, open Terminal and type ifconfig | grep "inet " — your local IP will appear next to inet on the relevant line.

On Linux 🐧

Open a terminal and run:

ip addr show 

or the older but still widely supported:

ifconfig 

Look for your active interface (often eth0 for Ethernet or wlan0 for Wi-Fi) and find the inet line. The address following it is your local IP.

On Chromebook

Go to Settings → Network → click your active Wi-Fi connection → select the Network tab. Your IP address is listed under the network details.

How to Find Your Public IP Address

This one is the same regardless of your operating system. The simplest method: open any web browser and search for what is my IP address. Google, Bing, and dozens of dedicated sites like ipinfo.io or whatismyipaddress.com will display your public IP instantly at the top of results.

From the command line, you can also run:

curl ifconfig.me 

This returns your public IP directly in the terminal — useful on Linux or macOS without opening a browser.

IPv4 vs. IPv6: What You Might See

Modern networks often assign both an IPv4 and an IPv6 address to a device.

If you're troubleshooting or configuring software, double-check whether the application you're working with requires IPv4 or IPv6 — they aren't interchangeable in practice.

Why Your IP Address Changes

Local IPs are usually assigned dynamically by your router using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). That means your computer's local IP can change each time it reconnects to the network, or after a router restart. If you need a consistent local address — for example, to always route traffic to the same device — you'd configure a static IP or set up a DHCP reservation in your router settings.

Public IPs also change for most residential users. ISPs typically assign dynamic public IPs unless you've specifically paid for a static one.

Variables That Affect What You Find

The IP address you see — and the method that works best — depends on several factors:

• Operating system version: The Settings menus in Windows 10 and Windows 11 differ slightly; macOS Ventura and earlier versions use different UI paths
• Network type: Corporate or enterprise networks may use different IP ranges and may have IT-managed configurations that limit what you can see or change
• VPN usage: If a VPN is active, your public IP will reflect the VPN server's address, not your actual ISP-assigned one — and some VPNs also affect local routing
• Virtualization: If you're running virtual machines, each VM may have its own IP address, and the host machine will have a separate one
• Multiple network adapters: Laptops with both Wi-Fi and Ethernet active at the same time will have a different IP for each interface

When One Method Isn't Enough

In straightforward setups — home Wi-Fi, single device, standard OS — any of the methods above takes under a minute. But in more layered environments, finding the right IP address gets more nuanced. A developer running Docker containers, a home lab user with VLANs, or someone on a corporate network with proxy configurations will encounter additional addresses, virtual interfaces, and routing tables that complicate the picture.

What matters most isn't just the steps — it's knowing whether you need your local address, public address, a specific adapter's address, or something else entirely. That depends entirely on what you're trying to accomplish and how your own network is set up. 🔍