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WINDOWS IP GUIDE

How to Find Your IP Address on Windows 11 and 10

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Find the public IP used on the Internet or the private IPv4 and IPv6 addresses assigned to your Windows computer.

Fastest way to see your public IP

Open the My IP checker on your Windows computer. The public address visible to websites appears automatically.

Windows can show several addresses because your computer may use Wi-Fi, Ethernet, virtual adapters, IPv4 and IPv6. First decide whether you need the public IP used on the Internet or the private IP assigned inside your local network.

Find your private IP in Windows Settings

Windows 11

  1. Open Start and select Settings.
  2. Select Network & internet.
  3. Select Wi-Fi, then open the connected network's properties. For a cable connection, select Ethernet.
  4. Look for IPv4 address. An IPv6 address may also appear when the network supports IPv6.

Windows 10

  1. Open Start, Settings, then Network & Internet.
  2. On the Status page, select Properties for the active connection.
  3. Scroll to the properties section and read the IPv4 address, IPv6 address and DNS server entries.

The Settings method is useful when you want the address without reading command-line output. It also identifies whether the current connection is Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

Find your IP with Command Prompt

  1. Press Windows + R.
  2. Enter cmd and press Enter.
  3. Run ipconfig.
  4. Find the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter.
  5. Read IPv4 Address, IPv6 Address and Default Gateway.

For additional details, run ipconfig /all. This includes the physical adapter name, MAC address, DHCP status, DNS servers and lease information. The command only displays configuration; it does not change the network.

Example: If the active Wi-Fi adapter shows IPv4 address 192.168.1.37 and default gateway 192.168.1.1, then 192.168.1.37 belongs to the computer and 192.168.1.1 normally belongs to the router. Neither value is necessarily the public address visible to websites.
Important: The address displayed by ipconfig is usually private, often beginning with 192.168, 10, or a number from 172.16 through 172.31. It is not normally the same address websites see.

Find your IP with PowerShell

Open PowerShell and run Get-NetIPAddress. The command lists addresses for all network interfaces. Look for an active Wi-Fi or Ethernet interface and check its IPv4 or IPv6 entry. Link-local IPv6 addresses commonly begin with fe80: and work only on the local network segment.

For a shorter view that includes active adapter configuration, use:

Get-NetIPConfiguration | Where-Object { $_.NetAdapter.Status -eq "Up" } | Select-Object InterfaceAlias, IPv4Address, IPv6Address, IPv4DefaultGateway

The InterfaceAlias column helps distinguish Wi-Fi, Ethernet, VPN and virtual adapters. An interface with an IPv4 default gateway is often the connection Windows currently uses for ordinary Internet traffic, although routing rules or a VPN can change that choice.

How to identify the correct Windows adapter

  1. Look for the connection you are currently using: normally Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
  2. Ignore entries marked Media disconnected.
  3. Check whether the adapter has a default gateway; active Internet connections usually do.
  4. Temporarily disconnect a VPN if you need to compare the physical network with the VPN route.
  5. Adapters created by Hyper-V, WSL, Docker or other virtualization tools may be active but represent internal virtual networks.

Public IP vs private IP on Windows

Your router normally gives the Windows computer a private address for communication inside the home or office. The router or Internet provider uses a public address for traffic sent to websites. Multiple devices on the same Wi-Fi can therefore share one public IPv4 address while keeping different private addresses.

Read the complete public vs private IP guide or check whether an address uses IPv4 or IPv6.

Why does Windows show multiple IP addresses?

Each network adapter can have its own address. A laptop may show entries for Wi-Fi, Ethernet, a VPN, virtualization software and temporary IPv6 addresses. Focus on the adapter currently connected to the network and ignore disconnected adapters when troubleshooting.

What common Windows addresses mean

  • 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x through 172.31.x.x, and 192.168.x.x are private IPv4 ranges used inside local networks.
  • 127.0.0.1 is the IPv4 loopback address. It refers to the same computer.
  • 169.254.x.x is an automatically assigned link-local address, often shown when Windows cannot obtain an address from DHCP.
  • An IPv6 address beginning with fe80: is link-local. Windows may append a zone identifier such as %12 to indicate the interface.
  • A global IPv6 address may appear alongside IPv4. That is normal on a dual-stack connection.

Troubleshooting an unexpected Windows IP

  1. Confirm that the intended Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection says Connected.
  2. Run ipconfig before and after reconnecting so you can compare the active adapter.
  3. If the address begins with 169.254., check the router or DHCP service and reconnect the adapter.
  4. If a VPN address appears, compare the result after disconnecting the VPN.
  5. If the public IP differs from the router's WAN address, the provider may use carrier-grade NAT.
Do not confuse DNS with IP renewal: ipconfig /flushdns clears the Windows DNS resolver cache, but it does not request a new IP address and normally does not change your public IP.

Windows IP address questions

How do I find my public IP address on Windows?

Open My IP in a browser. The public IPv4 or IPv6 address visible to websites appears automatically.

How do I find my private IP address on Windows?

Open Settings, select Network & internet, open the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection and look for IPv4 address. You can also run ipconfig.

Why does ipconfig show a different IP address?

ipconfig normally shows the private address inside the local network, while an IP checking website shows the public Internet address.

Can Windows have both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses?

Yes. Windows can use IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously and may have separate addresses for multiple network adapters.

What does a 169.254 IP address mean in Windows?

Windows normally assigns a 169.254.x.x link-local address when it cannot obtain an IPv4 address from the network's DHCP service. Reconnecting to the network or checking the router can help identify the cause.

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