How to View the IP Address of Your Computer

Every device connected to a network has an IP address — a unique numerical label that identifies it on that network. Whether you're troubleshooting a connection, setting up a printer, configuring remote access, or just curious, knowing how to find your IP address is a fundamental networking skill. The process varies depending on your operating system, and there are actually two different types of IP address you might need — which matters more than most guides let on.

What Is an IP Address, Exactly?

An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a string of numbers assigned to your device so other devices and servers know where to send data. Think of it like a postal address for your computer on a network.

There are two distinct IP addresses most users need to understand:

• Private (local) IP address — the address your router assigns to your device within your home or office network. Typically looks like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x.
• Public IP address — the address your internet service provider (ISP) assigns to your router, visible to websites and external services. All devices on your network share this one address outward.

Which one you need depends entirely on what you're trying to do. Configuring a local file share or printer? You want the private IP. Checking what external servers see when you visit a website? That's your public IP.

How to Find Your IP Address on Windows 🖥️

Using Settings (Windows 10 and 11)

1. Open Settings → Network & Internet
2. Click Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on your connection type
3. Select your active network connection
4. Scroll down to find IPv4 address

Using the 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 adapter (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)

The ipconfig output also shows your subnet mask and default gateway — useful if you're doing deeper network troubleshooting.

Using the Run Dialog Shortcut

Experienced users sometimes go straight to ncpa.cpl in the Run dialog to open Network Connections, then right-click their active adapter → Status → Details.

How to Find Your IP Address on macOS

Using System Settings / System Preferences

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

Using Terminal

1. Open Terminal (found in Applications → Utilities)
2. Type ifconfig | grep inet and press Enter
3. Look for the line starting with inet that shows a local address — typically 192.168.x.x

The Terminal method shows all network interfaces at once, which is helpful if your Mac has multiple active connections.

How to Find Your IP Address on Linux

Open a terminal and run:

ip addr show 

or the older command:

ifconfig 

Look for your network interface (commonly eth0 for Ethernet or wlan0 for Wi-Fi) and the inet value next to it. Linux distributions vary in which tools are installed by default — ip is the modern standard, while ifconfig may require the net-tools package on some distros.

How to Find Your Public IP Address

Finding your public-facing IP is simpler and works the same on any device or OS:

• Open any browser and search "what is my IP" — Google displays it instantly in the results
• Visit a service like checkip.amazonaws.com or similar plain-text IP lookup tools
• In terminal/command prompt, run: curl ifconfig.me

Your public IP is assigned by your ISP and can change unless you've paid for a static IP. Most residential connections use dynamic IP addresses, meaning the address can shift when your router reconnects or your ISP cycles it.

IPv4 vs. IPv6 — Which One Are You Seeing? 🌐

You may notice two formats when checking your IP:

Most home networks still primarily use IPv4 for local addressing. IPv6 adoption is increasing at the ISP level, so you may see both listed when running ipconfig or ifconfig. For most troubleshooting tasks, the IPv4 address is the one you'll reference.

Factors That Affect Which IP You're Working With

Several variables shape what you'll find and what it means:

• Connection type — wired Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections may show different local IPs on the same machine if both adapters are active
• VPN usage — if a VPN is active, your public IP will reflect the VPN server's address, not your ISP's
• Network configuration — corporate or institutional networks often use different private IP ranges and may assign IPs through stricter DHCP rules
• OS version — the navigation path in Settings differs across Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS Monterey, macOS Ventura, and various Linux distributions
• Multiple network adapters — laptops with both Wi-Fi and Ethernet, or machines with virtual network adapters (common with VirtualBox or Docker), will list several IP addresses at once

Understanding which address applies to your situation — local vs. public, IPv4 vs. IPv6, physical adapter vs. virtual — is the part that changes from one setup to the next.