How to Find Your IP Address on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Your IP address is a number your computer uses to talk to other devices on your network and the internet

Every device connected to a network has an IP address — a unique identifier that lets your router, your internet service provider, and websites know where to send information back to you. When you're setting up a home network or troubleshooting why something isn't connecting, you'll often need to find this number. The steps differ depending on whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux, but the process takes less than a minute on any of them.

You actually have two IP addresses worth knowing about: a local IP address (the one your router assigns to your computer on your home network) and a public IP address (the one your internet service provider assigns to your router, visible to the outside internet). For home network setup, you almost always need the local one.

Key Takeaways

Your local IP address is assigned by your router and is the one you need when setting up devices on your home network.
On Windows, open Command Prompt and type ipconfig to see your local IP address listed as "IPv4 Address".
On Mac, go to System Settings > Network and look for the IP address shown next to your active connection.
On Linux, open a terminal and type hostname -I or ip addr to display your local IP address.
Your public IP address (what websites see) is different from your local one and can be found by searching "what is my IP" in any browser.

Finding your IP address on Windows

The fastest way on Windows is through Command Prompt. Press the Windows key, type cmd, and press Enter. A black window opens. Type ipconfig and press Enter.

Look for the section labeled with your network connection name (usually "Ethernet" if you're plugged in with a cable, or "Wireless LAN adapter" if you're on Wi-Fi). Find the line that says "IPv4 Address" — that's your local IP address. It will look something like 192.168.1.105 or 10.0.0.50. Write it down if you need it for your network setup.

If you prefer not to use Command Prompt, you can also find it through Settings. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet), click your connection name, and scroll down to find "IPv4 address" in the details.

Finding your IP address on Mac

On Mac, go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions) and click Network in the left sidebar. Select the connection you're using — either Wi-Fi or Ethernet — and your local IP address appears on the right side of the window, labeled "IP Address".

If you want to use the terminal instead, click the Spotlight icon (magnifying glass in the top right), type terminal, and press Enter. In the terminal window, type ifconfig | grep inet and press Enter. You'll see several lines; look for the one that starts with "inet" and shows an address like 192.168.x.x — that's your local IP address. Addresses starting with 127.0.0.1 are internal only and not what you need.

Finding your IP address on Linux

Open a terminal window (usually Ctrl+Alt+T, though this varies by distribution). Type hostname -I and press Enter. Your local IP address appears on the next line.

If that doesn't work or you want more detail, type ip addr and press Enter instead. You'll see more information about all your network connections. Look for the section labeled with your connection name (often eth0 for wired or wlan0 for wireless) and find the line starting with "inet" — that's your local IP address.

Understanding what the numbers mean

Most home networks use IP addresses that start with 192.168 or 10.0. These are private IP addresses — they only work on your local network and aren't routable on the public internet. Your router translates between these private addresses and your public IP address when you browse the web.

The last number in your IP address (the part after the final dot) is usually different for each device on your network. Your computer might be 192.168.1.105, your phone 192.168.1.106, and your smart TV 192.168.1.107. Your router itself is usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.254. This is why you need the specific address when you're configuring devices or accessing your router's settings.

Finding your public IP address

Your public IP address is what websites and internet services see when you connect to them. It's assigned by your internet service provider and is usually different from your local IP address. To find it, open any web browser and search for "what is my IP address" or go to a site like whatismyipaddress.com or ipinfo.io. The large number displayed is your public IP address.

Your public IP address can change periodically depending on your internet service provider's settings. Some providers assign a static IP (stays the same) while others use dynamic IP (changes occasionally). For home network setup, you rarely need your public IP address — the local one is what matters.

What to do once you have your IP address

Once you know your computer's local IP address, you can use it to access your router's settings, set up port forwarding, assign a static IP to a device, or troubleshoot network problems. If you're setting up a new device on your network, you might need to know your computer's IP address to configure it or to check that both devices are on the same network (they should share the first three number groups, like 192.168.1.x).

If your IP address changes every time you restart your computer, that's normal — your router assigns addresses dynamically. If you need a device to always have the same IP address, you can either set a static IP in your computer's network settings or configure your router to reserve an IP address for that device. Both approaches are covered in your router's settings menu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my IP address start with 169.254?

That means your computer isn't getting an address from your router. Check that your Wi-Fi or ethernet cable is connected, restart your router, and wait 30 seconds. If it still shows 169.254, your router may not be assigning addresses correctly — restart the router and your computer both.

Is it safe to share my local IP address?

Your local IP address only works on your home network, so sharing it with someone outside your home doesn't let them access anything. However, don't share it with people you don't trust on your home network, since they could use it to target your computer specifically.

Can I change my IP address?

Your router assigns your local IP address automatically. You can set a static IP in your computer's network settings if you want it to stay the same, or you can configure your router to reserve a specific address for your device. Your public IP address is controlled by your internet service provider and can't be changed directly, though it may change on its own over time.

What if I see multiple IP addresses on my computer?

Computers can have more than one network connection (Wi-Fi and ethernet, for example). You'll see an IP address for each active connection. Use the one that matches the connection you're actually using — if you're on Wi-Fi, use the address from the Wi-Fi section.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.