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How to Find Your IP Address on a Computer

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technologyinternetconsumer electronicscybersecurity

Summary

An IP address is a unique identifier for devices on a network, with two types: IPv4 and IPv6. To find your IP on Windows, use Command Prompt or Settings; on macOS, use System Preferences or Terminal; on Linux, use Terminal commands. Internal IPs are local, while external IPs are assigned by ISPs.

What is an IP Address?

An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique string of numbers separated by periods that identifies each computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network. There are two types of IP addresses:

  • IPv4: The most common type, consisting of four numbers separated by periods (e.g., 192.168.1.1)
  • IPv6: A newer version that uses a longer string of numbers and letters (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334)

Finding Your IP Address on Windows

Using Command Prompt

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog
  2. Type cmd and press Enter
  3. In the Command Prompt, type ipconfig and press Enter
  4. Look for "IPv4 Address" under your active network adapter

Using Windows Settings

  1. Open Settings (Windows + I)
  2. Click on "Network & Internet"
  3. Select "Wi-Fi" or "Ethernet" (depending on your connection)
  4. Click on your active network connection
  5. Scroll down to find your IP address under Properties

Finding Your IP Address on macOS

Using System Preferences

  1. Click the Apple menu
  2. Select "System Preferences" (or "System Settings" in newer versions)
  3. Click on "Network"
  4. Select your active connection
  5. Your IP address will be displayed on the right

Using Terminal

  1. Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal)
  2. Type ifconfig and press Enter
  3. Look for the section labeled "en0" or "en1"
  4. Your IP address will be listed next to inet

Finding Your IP Address on Linux

Using Terminal

bash

External vs. Internal IP Address

It's important to distinguish between your internal and external IP addresses:

  • Internal IP Address: Assigned by your router to devices within your local network
  • External IP Address: Assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and used to identify your network on the internet

Common IP Address Patterns

  • Local IPv4 addresses typically start with:
    • 192.168.x.x
    • 10.0.x.x
    • 172.16.x.x through 172.31.x.x

To find your external IP address, you can:

bash

Troubleshooting Tips

If you can't find your IP address:

  • Ensure your network connection is active
  • Try disconnecting and reconnecting to the network
  • Restart your network adapter
  • Check if your system has multiple network adapters enabled

For more detailed information on IP addresses, you can visit Wikipedia's IP Address page or explore Cisco's Networking Basics for a deeper dive into networking concepts.