This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
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If you are experiencing problems with your internet service or you need to configure software to work with a firewall, you may need to know your public and/or private IP address. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to find out. This wikiHow article teaches you how to find your public and private IP address on any device with expert tips from computer and tech specialist Luigi Oppido.
Quickly Find Your IP Address
To find your local IP address on Windows, open Command Prompt, type "ipconfig /all," and press Enter. To find your local IP address on a Mac, open System Settings, select Network, choose your network, and click Details. Find your public IP address by searching for "What's my IP address?" in Google.
Type "What's my IP address?" into Google. This is the quickest way to find the public IP address that identifies you to the outside world. Once you press Enter or Return, you'll see your IP address at the top of the page.
In most cases, all of the devices on your home or office network will appear to have the same public IP addresses. This is because most home and small office routers automatically assign private IP addresses to all devices on the network so they can communicate with each other.
If you want to find your private (or local) IP address, you can generally do so in the internet connection settings on your device, or using the Command Prompt or Terminal. See below to find out how to find your local IP address for your device.
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
You can also use the site canyouseeme. It's an open port test tooling site, but it also shows you your IP address immediately, so it's super easy to use.
Check your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. You’ll find them about a third of the way down the list.
IPv4 is an older 32-bit protocol that uses a dot-decimal format (i.e., "192.168.1.1"). As such, it has a limited number of unique IP addresses. IPv6 is a newer, 128-bit protocol that uses an alphanumeric hexadecimal format format (i.e., "abcd:ef01:365e:fd00:8fba:bca7:9b7a:325") that allows for many more unique address and more connected devices.[1]XResearch source
If the IP address is bugged or not working, try getting a new IP address by unplugging your router for 5 minutes.
Click Advanced Settings or Network Connection. If you are using a wireless connection, click Advanced Settings. If you are using a wired connection, click Network Connection.
Find your IPv4 or IPv6 here. You’ll find your IP address listed next to "IPv6 address" or "IPv4 address."[2]XTrustworthy SourceMicrosoft SupportTechnical support and product information from Microsoft.Go to source [Image:Check a Computer IP Address Step 7 Version 2.jpg|center]]
IPv4 is an older 32-bit protocol that uses a dot-decimal format (i.e., "192.168.1.1"). As such, it has a limited number of unique IP addresses. IPv6 is a newer, 128-bit protocol that uses an alphanumeric hexadecimal format format (i.e., "abcd:ef01:365e:fd00:8fba:bca7:9b7a:325") that allows for many more unique address and more connected devices.[3]XResearch source
If the IP address is bugged or not working, try getting a new IP address by unplugging your router for 5 minutes.
Open Command Prompt. To do so, click the Windows Start menu. Then type cmd into the search bar and click Command Prompt. You can also right-click the Windows Start menu and click Command Prompt or Terminal.
This method will help you find your local (private) IP address on Windows 10 and 11, as well as older versions like Windows 7 & 8.
Find your IP address. You'll see your computer's IP address next to "IPv4 Address" or "IPv6 Address" in the section for your connection.
For example, if you have a wireless internet connection, your IP address will appear under "Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi" or similar.
The IP address that appears next to "Default Gateway" is your router's IP address, which is helpful if you need to connect to your router to change your Wi-Fi password or do other administrative tasks.
IPv4 is an older 32-bit protocol that uses a dot-decimal format (i.e., "192.168.1.1"). As such, it has a limited number of unique IP addresses. IPv6 is a newer, 128-bit protocol that uses an alphanumeric hexadecimal format (i.e., "abcd:ef01:365e:fd00:8fba:bca7:9b7a:325") that allows for many more unique addresses and more connected devices.
Open the Control Panel. This works for all versions of Windows, including Windows 7 & 8. To open the Control Panel, click the Windows Start menu. Type "Control Panel" and then click Control Panel.
On Windows 7 & 8, you can just click Control Panel in the Windows Start menu.
Double-click your internet connection. You may see several network adapters for Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, etc. Double-click the one you are currently using. The ones you are not using will have a red "x" on them.
Check your IPv4 or IPv6 address. This will be your local IP address.[6]XResearch source
IPv4 is an older 32-bit protocol that uses a dot-decimal format (i.e., "192.168.1.1"). As such, it has a limited number of unique IP addresses. IPv6 is a newer, 128-bit protocol that uses an alphanumeric hexadecimal format (i.e., "abcd:ef01:365e:fd00:8fba:bca7:9b7a:325") that allows for many more unique addresses and more connected devices.
Open your Mac's System Settings. You can get there by clicking the Apple icon at the top-left corner of the screen and selecting System Settings.[7]XResearch source
System Settings is only available on macOS Ventura and later. If you're using macOS Monterey or earlier, click the Apple menu and select System Preferences instead.
Select your network. If you're connected wirelessly, click the Wi-Fi option. Or, if using a wired connection, select your Ethernet connection.[9]XResearch source
If you're using macOS Monterey or earlier, you'll see your IP address in the panel. If you're using Wi-Fi, it'll appear under "Status: Connected." For wired, you'll see the address next to "IP Address" below the status.
Click Details.... If you're using macOS Monterey or earlier, you can skip this step, as you'll already see your IP address on this window. On Ventura and later, click the button near the top of the window across from the name of your connection.
Find your IP address. Your IP address appears next to "IPv4 Address" or "IPv6 Address" near the top of the TCP/IP tab.[10]XResearch source
Your router's IP address is just below your computer's IP address, next to "Router."
IPv4 is an older 32-bit protocol that uses a dot-decimal format (i.e., "192.168.1.1"). As such, it has a limited number of unique IP addresses. IPv6 is a newer, 128-bit protocol that uses an alphanumeric hexadecimal format (i.e., "abcd:ef01:365e:fd00:8fba:bca7:9b7a:325") that allows for many more unique addresses and more connected devices.
Open the Terminal. You can find the Terminal in the Utilities folder in your Applications folder. To open the Terminal quickly, click the magnifying glass/spotlight icon in the upper-right corner of your desktop. Search "Terminal" and click Terminal.app.
Enter one of the following commands and press ↵ Enter to find your local IP address. Depending on if you are connected to Wi-Fi or have a wired connection, enter one of the following commands. This will display your local IP address:
Find your public IP address. In addition to finding your local IP address, you can use the following command to find your public IP address:[11]XResearch source
Press Ctrl+Alt+T to open the Terminal. You can click the Terminal icon in your software list, or use the keyboard shortcut to open the Terminal.
IPv4 is an older 32-bit protocol that uses a dot-decimal format (i.e., "192.168.1.1"). As such, it has a limited number of unique IP addresses. IPv6 is a newer, 128-bit protocol that uses an alphanumeric hexadecimal format (i.e., "abcd:ef01:365e:fd00:8fba:bca7:9b7a:325") that allows for many more unique addresses and more connected devices.
Type ip addr show and press ↵ Enter. This will display information related to your IP address. Check your IP address info in the section labeled "eth0."[12]XResearch source
You can find your IPv4 address next to "inet" or "inet address."
You can find your IPv6 address next to "inet6" or "ether."
Type ifconfig -a and press ↵ Enter. This is another command similar to the other. This will show you your internet connection information. Look for your connection information below the "en0" label if you are using a wireless connection or "en1" if you are using a wired connection.[13]XResearch source
You can find your IPv4 address next to "inet" or "inet address." You can find your iPv6 address next to "inet6" or "ether."
To use this command, you need to have Net-tools installed. To install Net-tools, type sudo apt-get install net-tools -y and press Enter.
Find your public IP address. In addition to finding your local IP address, you can use the following command to find your public IP address:[14]XResearch source
. You can tap the app icon that looks like a gear, or you can swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Quick Settings panel and tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
Tap About phone. It's at the bottom of the menu. Unless your phone is a Samsung Galaxy, you can find your local IPv4 and IPv6 address on this page. If you have a Samsung Galaxy, continue to the next step.
You can also do this to find the IP address on Android tablets.
Tap Status information (Samsung only). Your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses will be listed below "IP Address."
IPv4 is an older 32-bit protocol that uses a dot-decimal format (i.e., "192.168.1.1"). As such, it has a limited number of unique IP addresses. IPv6 is a newer, 128-bit protocol that uses an alphanumeric hexadecimal format (i.e., "abcd:ef01:365e:fd00:8fba:bca7:9b7a:325") that allows for many more unique addresses and more connected devices.
Find your IP address information. You can find your IP address listed below the "IPv4 Address" and the "IPv6 Address" sections.
IPv4 is an older 32-bit protocol that uses a dot-decimal format (i.e., "192.168.1.1"). As such, it has a limited number of unique IP addresses. IPv6 is a newer, 128-bit protocol that uses an alphanumeric hexadecimal format (i.e., "abcd:ef01:365e:fd00:8fba:bca7:9b7a:325") that allows for many more unique addresses and more connected devices.
An IP address allows your computer to communicate over the web. Your IP address is a unique address that is assigned to your computer or device that other devices use to connect to your device through the internet. Your computer or device generally has two IP addresses: a public and a private address. Your public IP address is assigned to your modem or router by your internet service provider (ISP). Your private IP address is assigned to individual devices by your modem or router. Your private IP address is for devices within your local area network to communicate with each other. Your public IP address is used to communicate with devices outside of your network.[15]XResearch source
When we scan documents on the copier to send to our computers, the document goes to a folder but then tells us the server cannot be found. How can I make sure it goes to my PC?
You would want to look into port settings on your computers to ensure the connections are correct. It's usually located in "Devices and Printers." As for ports, they are unique to your computer and the other device. If the ports are wrong, the data isn't getting transferred correctly. Think of it like trying to fit a cube in a circle hole, the cube being your data and the hole being the port to your computer.
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This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. This article has been viewed 562,184 times.
