How to Find a Device’s IP Address on Your Network

When you need to connect to a printer, access a NAS drive, or troubleshoot a device on your network, knowing its IP address is essential. Here are the quickest ways to find it — whether you can access the device directly or only from your PC.

Method 1: Check the Device Itself

Many devices display their own IP address on a screen or via a physical button:

• Printers — print a configuration or network status page (usually by holding the information or WiFi button). The IP address is printed on it.
• NAS drives — most have a web interface or LED display; check the manufacturer’s app or try the device name in File Explorer under Network.
• Smart TVs and streaming devices — go to Settings > Network > Connection details.
• Routers — check the label on the back or underside for the default gateway IP.

Method 2: Use the ARP Table in Command Prompt

Your PC keeps a table of recently contacted devices and their IP addresses. This is the fastest way to find a device that’s already been communicating on the network.

1. Press Windows key + R, type cmd and press Enter.
2. Type the following and press Enter:

arp -a

You’ll get a list of IP addresses and their corresponding MAC addresses for every device your PC has recently communicated with. Cross-reference the MAC address with your device’s label or documentation to identify it.

Method 3: Scan Your Network with PowerShell

This scans your entire subnet and lists all responding devices — useful when you don’t know a device’s MAC address.

1. Open PowerShell (press Windows key, type PowerShell, press Enter).
2. Run this command, replacing 192.168.1 with your own subnet if different:

1..254 | ForEach-Object { $ip = "192.168.1.$_"; if (Test-Connection -ComputerName $ip -Count 1 -Quiet) { $ip } }

This pings every address from .1 to .254 and lists the ones that respond. It takes about a minute to complete.

Method 4: Check Your Router’s Device List

Your router keeps a full list of all connected devices, usually showing the device name, MAC address and IP address.

1. Open a browser and go to your router’s admin page — usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
2. Log in with your router’s admin credentials.
3. Look for a section called Connected Devices, DHCP Clients, Device List or similar.
4. Find your device in the list — it will show its IP address and often its hostname.

This is the most comprehensive method and is especially useful when setting up DHCP reservations to give a device a permanent address.

Method 5: Find a Windows PC’s IP from Your PC

If the device is another Windows PC and you know its computer name:

1. Open Command Prompt.
2. Type:

ping COMPUTER-NAME

Replace COMPUTER-NAME with the PC’s name (found in Settings > System > About > Device name on that machine). The ping response will show the IP address.

Related Guides

• How to Find Your IP Address on Windows
• How to Ping a Server or Website
• How to Set a Static IP Address on Windows