If you’ve ever tried to set up your own router then you know that you need your router’s IP address to configure it. In case you’ve forgotten how to find yours, you’re probably wondering, “how to find my IP address?” In this guide, we’ll teach you how to find your IP address through your devices.
What is an IP address?
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is the number assigned to devices on a network. A default gateway is an IP address that redirects traffic to an outside network. If you have several devices connected to one router, its private IP address is the default gateway. This means that all the devices on that network send traffic to that IP address.
On Windows devices, they call the IP address the “default gateway”. For Macs, iPhones and other Apple devices, they call it “router” in their interface. On other devices, you’ll find them as “gateway” or something similar. The IP address is important. You’ll need it to locate your router’s log-in and configure its settings.
Types of IP address
Public IP Address
Your public IP address is commonly a string of four numbers. It is also the way in which you can locate your device on the internet. Without this, it would be impossible for your devices to communicate and connect to the internet. The world wide web functions on this basis, by sending web pages back to your browser via this address.
Private IP Address
The private IP address identifies your device on a local network rather than the internet. It is the address that allows the other devices hooked up to your router to communicate with your device.
Any device that is online gets a public IP address to identify it. Every device connected to a local network gets a private IP address for identification. If you are looking for either or both of these IP addresses, you’ve come to the right place because this guide is all about helping you find your IP address.
How to Find My IP Address
There are several ways for you to locate your IP address. Whether through using the web or by using the command prompt on your computer. Or, in some devices, through the settings. We will show you every possible way you can find your IP address.
If you’re trying to locate your IP address using a windows device, then you should follow the steps below. Note that Windows devices have different versions so choose which one suits you best.
How to Find My Public IP Address on Windows
Among all methods of locating your public IP address, this is the easiest way. All you have to do is launch your default browser and look up “whatismyipaddress”. As the website name is, this shows you what your IP address is.
Just look at the center of your screen that says “My IP Address is”. You’ll see both your IPv4 and IPv6 address, if you have one. You can also see on this website that they are able to retrieve your Internet Service Provider. And a rough guess of where the IP address is coming from: city, region, and country.
How to Find My IP Address on Windows 10 Without Using The Command Prompt
- Click the Start menu icon and select “Settings”.
- Click the “Network and Internet” from the menu.
- If you want to view the IP address of your wired connection, select “Ethernet” on the left menu, then select your network connection. Your IP address will appear next to “IPv4 Address”.
- If you want to view the IP address of your wireless connection, select “WiFI” on the menu and then click “Advanced Options”. Your IP address will appear next to “IPv4 Address”.
How to Find My IP Address on Windows 8/8.1 Without Using The Command Prompt
- Look for the system tray on the bottom right side of your Windows screen and click the network connection icon. Select “Open Network and Sharing Center”.
- If you want to view the IP address of your wired connection, double-click “Local Area Connection” and click “Details”. Your IP address will appear next to “IPv4 Address”.
- If you want to view the IP address of your wireless connection, double-click “Wireless Network Connection (Network Name)” and click “Details”. Your IP address will appear next to “IPv4 Address”.
How to Find My IP Address on Windows 7 Without Using The Command Prompt
- Look for the system tray on the bottom right side of your Windows screen and click the network connection icon. Select “Open Network and Sharing Center”.
- If you want to view the IP address of your wired connection, double-click “Local Area Connection” and click “Details”. Your IP address will appear next to “IPv4 Address”.
- If you want to view the IP address of your wireless connection, double-click “Wireless Network Connection (Network Name).” Click “Details”. Your IP address will appear next to “IPv4 Address”.
How to Find My IP Address on Windows Vista Without Using The Command Prompt
- Go to the Start menu, right-click the “Network” and select “Properties”. This will open the Network and Sharing Center.
- If you want to view the IP address of your wired connection, click “View Status” to the right side of Local Area Connection and click “Details”. Your IP address will appear next to “IPv4 IP Address”.
- If you want to view the IP address of your wireless adapter, click “View Status” to the right side of Wireless Network Connection and click “Details”. Your IP address will appear next to “IPv4 IP Address”.
How to Find My IP Address on Windows XP Without Using The Command Prompt
- Go to the Start menu, right-click “My Network Places” and select “Properties”.
- If you want to view the IP address of your wired connection, double-click ”Local Area Connection” and click the “Support” tab. Then, click “Details” and the window that will pop out will display your IP address.
- If you want to view the IP address of your wireless adapter, double-click ”Wireless Network Connection” and click the “Support” tab. Then, click “Details” and the window that will pop out will display your IP address.
How to Find My IP Address on Mac
Do you own a Mac computer? If so, there are several steps you can do to find your IP address. Choose the best method for you.
How to Find My Public IP Address Mac
If your network connects to a modem via an Ethernet cable, follow these steps:
- Open System Preferences. You can do this by either clicking the cogs in your dock. Or click the Apple logo drop-down menu at the top-left of your screen, and then select “System Preferences”.
- Under the Internet & Wireless section, click “Network”.
- On the left-hand bar, you will see a green dot. Highlight that option then check the information that appears in the pane on the right. You should see the word “Connected” at the top and in the smaller text underneath it will tell you what your IP address is.
If your network connects to a wireless router, follow these steps:
- Go to your browser (Safari or Google Chrome) then visit “www.whatismyipaddress.com”. This site will show you your public IP address.
- Or on your browser, just type “What is my IP address” into the search bar. It will show you your IP address.
How to Find My Private IP Address Mac
It is very rare that you will need to look for your internal IP address. But if you need to find yours, here are the steps:
- Open System Preferences. You can do this by either clicking the cogs in your dock or click the Apple logo drop-down menu at the top-left of your screen, and then select “System Preferences”.
- Under the Internet & Wireless section, click “Network”.
- On the left-hand bar, you will see a green dot. Highlight that option then check the information that appears in the pane on the right. You should see the word “Connected” at the top and in the smaller text underneath it will tell you what your IP address is.
How to Find My IP Address Mac Using Terminal
Feeling a little bit geeky? You can find your (local) IP address using the Terminal on your Mac. Follow the simple steps below:
- Open the terminal. You can do this by pressing the “Command” button + “Space” button and then type in “terminal”.
- Type in: ipconfig getifaddr en0
How to Find My Phone’s IP address
If you are looking for the IP address of your Android or Apple device, you’ve come to the right place. Follow the methods below:
How to Find My Private IP Address on Android
- Open the Settings on your Android phone and tap Network & Internet > WiFi
- If you are not yet connected to a WiFi Network, tap its name and connect to it. Tap the network’s name and expand the “Advanced” section.
- On this page, you will find your IP address and other network information. The IPv6 addresses appear at the bottom of the page.
How to Find My Private IP Address On iPhone
- On your iPhone, go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
- If you are not yet connected to a WiFi Network, tap its name and connect to it. Then tap the network’s name so you can open its options.
- On this page, you will see the IP address field listed under the IPv4 Address header. The IPv6 address will have an alternate address for your device.
How to Find My Public IP Address on iPhone/Android
- Open your phone browser. Then navigate to any of the following IP sites:
- What Is My IP Address
- WhatIsMyIP
- IP Chicken
- You will notice that some of these sites also display your location and Internet Service Provider name, but don’t panic. This is because your IP address carries this information with it. You can’t ascertain the name and exact address of someone from an IP address, but it can narrow it down to a city.
How to Find My IP Address on Console
Trying to look for your IP address but the only device available in your console? We got your back. Check out these methods to locate your IP address on your console.
How to Find My IP Address on PS4
- On your PS4 dashboard, go to the “Settings” option.
- From the list options on the Settings menu, choose “Network” then select “View Connection Status”.
- You will see the View Connection Status page. You’ll be able to see your IP address on this page.
How to Find My IP Address on Xbox One
- Turn on your Xbox One console and push the Xbox home button form the controller.
- From the menu, select “Settings”.
- On the Settings menu, click Network > Network Settings > Advanced Settings.
- In the Advanced Settings select “IP Settings”. You will see your IP address from this page.
How to Find My IP Address on Roku
You can also locate your IP address using your Roku streaming device. Just follow the steps below:
- If you have a Roku TV, simply go to Settings > System > About. You’ll be able to see your IP address from this page.
- For all other Roku devices, just go to Settings > About. This will show you your IP address.
How to Find My IP Address on Printer
If you are trying to find your printer’s IP address using your Windows computer, just follow the simple steps below:
- From your keyboard, press the Windows key, they type “Devices and Printers”. Press “Enter”.
- Find the printer you are trying to get the IP address from your list of printers and devices.
- Once you find the printer, right-click it and choose “Printer Properties”. In some cases, you can find the IP address on the Location Box that appears on the General tab. If you can’t locate it here, proceed to the next step.
- Click the “Ports” tab in the Printer Properties window. The IP address will appear in the Port listing and if not, proceed to the next step.
- Click the “Configure Port” button. If the IP address is still not displayed in this window, you can locate it under the “System Info” tab next to the DLL label.
How Can I Protect My IP Address?
It is normal for your public IP address to be visible nearly to anyone. Every website you visit can see it, your ISP knows it, and even people trying to snoop on your network can see it too. So the biggest question is, can I hide my IP address?
To answer your question, yes you can. You can do it in two ways. First, you can invest in antivirus software. You can also get a VPN. A virtual private network or VPN is the easiest and most effective way to keep your public IP address hidden. If you know how to set up a VPN, you’ll get extra security. Basically, a VPN creates a tunnel from your network to the VPN server. This prevents any website you visit or your ISP from seeing your IP address.
This cloaks your IP address from possible hackers. The VPN will instead show their server’s VPN, masking your identity on the internet. A trusted VPN provider like NordVPN will keep all your data safe and secure.
