How to Find the IP Address of Your Computer

Every device connected to a network has an IP address — a numerical label that identifies it and allows it to communicate with other devices. Whether you're troubleshooting a connection issue, setting up a home network, or configuring remote access, knowing how to find your computer's IP address is a foundational networking skill.

The slightly tricky part: your computer doesn't have just one IP address. It has at least two, and understanding the difference between them is half the battle.

The Two Types of IP Addresses You Need to Know

Local (Private) IP Address

Your local IP address is assigned by your router and is only visible within your home or office network. Think of it as your device's address within a private neighborhood. Other devices on the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet network use this address to communicate with your computer.

Local IP addresses typically follow these formats:

192.168.x.x
10.x.x.x
172.16.x.x through 172.31.x.x

Public (External) IP Address

Your public IP address is assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is what the rest of the internet sees. Every device on your home network shares the same public IP — your router acts as the gateway, handling traffic in and out.

This distinction matters because the steps to find each type are completely different, and the right address to use depends entirely on what you're trying to do.

How to Find Your Local IP Address 🖥️

On Windows

Method 1 — Settings:

Open Settings → Network & Internet
Click your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)
Scroll to Properties — your IPv4 address is listed there

Method 2 — Command Prompt:

Press Windows + R, type cmd, hit Enter
Type ipconfig and press Enter
Look for IPv4 Address under your active adapter

On macOS

Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions) → Network
Select your active connection
Your IP address appears directly on that screen

Alternatively via Terminal:

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:

ifconfig

Look for the inet value under your active network interface (commonly eth0 for wired, wlan0 for wireless).

On iPhone or Android

iPhone: Settings → Wi-Fi → tap your connected network → your IP appears under the IPv4 section
Android: Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → tap the connected network → Advanced

How to Find Your Public IP Address 🌐

The simplest method on any device: open a browser and search "what is my IP" — Google displays it instantly at the top of the results. Dozens of sites like whatismyip.com or ipinfo.io also display it the moment you visit.

Your public IP address is the same regardless of which device you check from, as long as they share the same internet connection.

IPv4 vs. IPv6: A Quick Note

Most networks assign both an IPv4 address (the familiar four-number format like 192.168.1.10) and an IPv6 address (a longer hexadecimal format like fe80::1a2b:3c4d). IPv6 was developed to handle the eventual exhaustion of IPv4 addresses globally.

When running ipconfig or ifconfig, you'll often see both. For most everyday purposes — gaming, remote desktop, network troubleshooting — IPv4 is what you'll reference. IPv6 becomes more relevant in specific enterprise or ISP-level configurations.

Variables That Affect What You Find

Factor	Why It Matters
Wired vs. wireless	Your computer may have different local IPs for each adapter
Static vs. dynamic IP	Routers assign dynamic IPs that can change; static IPs are manually configured
VPN active	A VPN replaces your visible public IP with the VPN server's address
Multiple network adapters	Laptops with docking stations may show several addresses
IPv4 vs. IPv6	Some tools or services require a specific version

When the "Wrong" IP Causes Problems

If you're setting up port forwarding, remote desktop access, or a local server, using the wrong type of IP address is one of the most common sources of confusion. Connecting to your public IP works from outside your network. Using your local IP only works from within it.

Additionally, if your router assigns IP addresses dynamically (which is the default for most home routers), your local IP can change when a device reconnects or the router restarts. Anyone configuring something that relies on a consistent local address — like a NAS device, a print server, or remote access software — often needs to set a static local IP or configure a DHCP reservation in the router settings.

Whether any of that applies to your situation depends on exactly what you're trying to accomplish and how your specific network is configured.