How to Find the IP Address in Windows

Knowing your IP address is one of those basic networking tasks that comes up more often than you'd expect — whether you're setting up a home network, troubleshooting a connection, configuring a firewall, or connecting remotely to another machine. Windows gives you several ways to find it, and which method works best depends on your situation and comfort level.

What Is an IP Address, and Which One Are You Looking For?

Before diving into the steps, it's worth clarifying something that trips a lot of people up: there are two very different IP addresses your Windows PC might have, and they aren't the same number.

• Local IP address (private): This is the address assigned to your device within your home or office network. It typically looks like 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, or 172.16.x.x. This is what other devices on the same network use to talk to your machine.
• Public IP address (external): This is the address your internet service provider assigns to your router. It's visible to websites and services on the internet, and it's shared across all devices on your network.

Most troubleshooting and networking tasks — like setting up a printer, configuring remote desktop, or assigning a static address — require your local IP. Checking which country a site sees you from, or verifying a VPN is working, requires your public IP.

The methods below cover both.

How to Find Your Local IP Address in Windows 🖥️

Method 1: Using the Command Prompt (Fastest)

1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and hit Enter.
2. In the Command Prompt window, type ipconfig and press Enter.
3. Look for the "Ethernet adapter" or "Wi-Fi" section depending on how you're connected.
4. Your local IP address appears next to "IPv4 Address" — for example, 192.168.1.105.

You'll also see:

• Subnet Mask — defines the size of your local network
• Default Gateway — usually your router's IP address

This method works on every version of Windows and gives you a clean, complete picture of your network configuration in seconds.

Method 2: Through Windows Settings (No Command Line)

On Windows 10 and Windows 11:

1. Open Settings (Windows + I).
2. Go to Network & Internet.
3. Click on Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on your connection type.
4. Select your active network connection.
5. Scroll down to Properties — your IPv4 address is listed there.

This approach is more visual and beginner-friendly. It also shows additional details like DNS server addresses and whether you're using DHCP or a manual (static) configuration.

Method 3: Via the Network & Sharing Center (Older Interface)

This method is available in Windows 7 through Windows 11, though Microsoft has been gradually moving users away from the Control Panel path:

1. Right-click the network icon in your system tray (bottom-right).
2. Select Open Network & Internet Settings, then Network and Sharing Center.
3. Click on your active connection name (e.g., "Wi-Fi" or "Ethernet").
4. Click Details — a window will appear showing your IPv4 address and other configuration details.

Method 4: Using PowerShell

For users who prefer PowerShell or need more detail:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Windows PowerShell (or Terminal on Windows 11).
2. Type Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 and press Enter.
3. Look for the address associated with your active network adapter — typically listed as InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" or "Ethernet."

PowerShell is especially useful in scripting or automation contexts, or when managing multiple network adapters.

How to Find Your Public IP Address

Your public IP address isn't visible through ipconfig — that command only shows internal network information. The simplest way to find your public IP is to visit a site like whatismyip.com or simply search "what is my IP" in any browser. Google will display it directly in the search results.

Alternatively, from PowerShell or Command Prompt, you can use:

curl ifconfig.me 

This queries an external service and returns your public IP directly in the terminal — useful if you prefer staying off the browser.

IPv4 vs. IPv6: What You'll See

Modern Windows systems display both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. Most home networks still rely primarily on IPv4 for local communication, but IPv6 is increasingly supported by ISPs and applications.

If you're configuring something specific — a game server, remote access tool, or port forwarding rule — pay attention to whether the application asks for IPv4 or IPv6. Using the wrong one is a common source of connection failures.

Variables That Affect What You'll Find

Your IP address isn't fixed in most home setups. A few things determine what you're working with:

• DHCP vs. static assignment: Most home networks use DHCP, meaning your router assigns your local IP dynamically and it can change. Servers and network printers often use static IPs to stay consistent.
• Multiple adapters: Laptops frequently have both Wi-Fi and Ethernet adapters active simultaneously, each with its own IP. ipconfig will show all of them — you need to identify which one is active and in use.
• VPNs: When a VPN is active, it creates a virtual network adapter with its own IP. This can make ipconfig output more complex to read.
• Windows version: The Settings interface differs between Windows 10 and Windows 11, though the underlying ipconfig command is identical across both. 🔧

Different Setups, Different Results

A home user on a standard Wi-Fi network will likely see a single clean 192.168.x.x address and call it done. A developer running virtual machines might see half a dozen virtual adapters with separate addresses. A remote worker connected through a corporate VPN will have both a VPN-assigned address and their physical adapter's address showing simultaneously.

What "finding your IP address" means in practice depends entirely on what you're trying to do with it — and whether you need the address that's visible to your local network, to your router, or to the wider internet.