How to Find Your Router's IP Address (All Devices & Methods)

Your router has two IP addresses, and most people don't realize that until they go looking. Knowing which one you need — and how to find it — depends on what you're actually trying to do.

The Two IP Addresses Your Router Has

Before diving into the steps, it's worth understanding the difference, because searching for the wrong one wastes time.

Your router's local IP address (also called the default gateway) is the address it uses on your home network. This is the address you type into a browser to access your router's admin panel — typically something like 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.

Your router's public IP address is the address your internet provider (ISP) assigns to your connection. This is how websites, apps, and external servers see your network. It's shared across every device in your home.

Most people who ask "how do I find my router's IP address" are looking for one of these two, depending on their goal.

How to Find Your Router's Local IP Address (Default Gateway)

On Windows

1. Open the Start menu and search for Command Prompt
2. Type ipconfig and press Enter
3. Look for the Default Gateway under your active network adapter — that's your router's local IP address

Alternatively, go to Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → Properties and scroll down to find the IPv4 default gateway listed there.

On macOS

1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
2. Go to Network, select your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)
3. Click Details and look under the TCP/IP tab for the Router field

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open Settings → Wi-Fi
2. Tap the ℹ️ icon next to your connected network
3. Scroll to find the Router field — that's the local IP

On Android

The exact path varies by manufacturer and Android version, but generally:

1. Go to Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi
2. Tap your connected network name
3. Expand Advanced or tap the pencil/edit icon
4. Look for Gateway under the network details

Some Android skins (Samsung One UI, for example) label this differently or require switching from DHCP to static to make the gateway visible.

On Linux

Open a terminal and run:

ip route | grep default 

The IP after via is your router's local address.

How to Find Your Router's Public IP Address 🌐

This one is simpler. Your public IP isn't stored locally in any network settings menu — it's assigned by your ISP and visible from any internet-connected device.

The fastest method: open any browser and search "what is my IP address" — Google, Bing, and most search engines will display it directly at the top of the results.

You can also visit dedicated lookup tools like whatismyipaddress.com or ipinfo.io which show your public IP along with your approximate location and ISP name.

Keep in mind: your public IP address can change. Most residential internet plans use dynamic IP addresses, meaning your ISP reassigns them periodically. Static public IPs are available on some business-tier plans, but they're not the default for home users.

When You Might Need Each One

Common Complications Worth Knowing 🔧

Multiple routers or a modem-router combo: If your ISP gave you a modem that also acts as a router, and you have a separate router plugged into it, you may be operating behind a double NAT. In that case, your router has a local IP on your network, but its "public" IP is actually just the local IP assigned to it by the modem — not your real public IP.

VPNs change what you see: If you're connected to a VPN when you check your public IP, you'll see the VPN server's IP, not your actual ISP-assigned one. Disconnect from the VPN first if you need your true public address.

IPv4 vs IPv6: Most home networks still use IPv4 addresses (the familiar four-number format like 192.168.1.1). But IPv6 is increasingly common — it uses a longer alphanumeric format. Some networks run both simultaneously, so you may see two different addresses for the same connection depending on which protocol a tool is checking.

DHCP address changes on your local network too: Your router usually assigns local IP addresses to devices automatically via DHCP. The router's own local IP (the gateway) stays fixed, but device IPs can change — worth keeping in mind if you're setting up something that depends on a device always having the same address.

What Actually Determines Your Experience

Finding your router's local IP is nearly always straightforward — the methods above work in almost every case. The public IP side gets more nuanced depending on whether you have a dynamic or static assignment, whether you're behind a carrier-grade NAT (common with some mobile or budget ISPs), and whether your network involves additional routing layers.

Your specific setup — the type of internet service you have, your router model, and what you're ultimately trying to accomplish — is what determines whether a simple IP lookup is the end of the process or just the starting point.