Knowing your IP address is one of the most useful bits of information when troubleshooting network problems, setting up remote access, or configuring devices. Here are all the ways to find it in Windows — it takes less than a minute.
Your Local IP Address vs Your Public IP Address
Before looking it up, it helps to know which one you need:
- Local IP address — the address your router assigns to your PC on your home or office network. Usually starts with 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x. Used for things like connecting to shared printers or network drives.
- Public IP address — the address your internet connection shows to the outside world. Used for remote access, port forwarding, or checking your VPN is working.
How to Find Your Local IP Address
Method 1: Using the Command Prompt (quickest)
- Press Windows key + R, type
cmdand press Enter. - Type the following and press Enter:
ipconfig- Look for your active network adapter — either Ethernet adapter or Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi.
- Your local IP address is shown next to IPv4 Address.
You’ll also see your Subnet Mask (usually 255.255.255.0) and Default Gateway (your router’s IP address, typically 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1).
Method 2: Using Windows Settings
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Go to Network & internet.
- Click your active connection — Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- For Wi-Fi, click the network name. For Ethernet, click Ethernet.
- Scroll down to find IPv4 address.
Method 3: Using the System Tray
- Click the WiFi or network icon in the bottom-right taskbar.
- Click the arrow next to your network name, then click Properties.
- Scroll down to find IPv4 address.
How to Find Your Public IP Address
The easiest way is to open a browser and search: what is my IP address. Google shows it at the top of the results instantly.
Alternatively, open Command Prompt and run:
curl ifconfig.meThis returns your public IP address directly in the terminal.
How to Find Your IPv6 Address
Most networks now use both IPv4 and IPv6. Your IPv6 address is shown in the ipconfig output under IPv6 Address — it looks like a long string of letters and numbers separated by colons (e.g. 2a02:c7c:1234:5678::1).
What to Do With Your IP Address
- Troubleshooting: if your IP starts with 169.254.x.x, your PC isn’t getting an address from the router — that’s an APIPA address and usually means a DHCP or connection problem.
- Network drives: use your PC’s local IP to connect other devices to shared folders.
- Remote desktop: use your public IP (plus port forwarding) to connect to your PC from outside your network.
