Like most things in Windows there are dozens of ways to get something done, so today we’re showing you multiple different techniques to find your public or private IP address from the command prompt. How to find IP Address on Windows through the Command Prompt · Head to the Start menu search bar, type in ‘cmd,’ and select the best match.
Simply put, you can think of your computer’s IP address as a virtual residential address—one that can be changed if necessary. In real terms, an IP address serves two primary purposes: network interface identification and location addressing.
Why would you want to get your IP address from the command line when you can easily look it up in the GUI in Windows 10 or Windows 11? If you’re an old-school kind of geek, using the command line to do things comes naturally, so you might find it easier to type in a quick command instead of clicking a whole bunch of settings. The real reason, though, is that you’re probably going to automate it in a script, and you just need to figure out the right command for the job.
Use a simple command to get your IP address on Windows
- To find your local IP address from the CMD Command prompt, simply type “ipconfig” into the prompt. It will be listed as “IPv4 Address”.
- To find your public (external) IP address from a command prompt, type “curl ifconfig.me” on Windows 10 or 11.
This article shows you how to use Command Prompt on your Windows computer to obtain your IP address.
Open Command Prompt on Windows – IP Address on Windows
Of course, you cannot run a command in Command Prompt until you open it. There are actually several ways to do this, but these two are super easy. You can either use the Settings app or go poking around in the Command Prompt. Keep reading to find out how to find your IP address on Windows.
Use the Start Menu Search
If you have the Search box or icon in your Task Bar, you can use it. Otherwise, click the Start button (Windows icon) and type either “cmd” or “Command Prompt,” then select Command Prompt from the list.
Use the Start Menu
You can also click the Start button, scroll to and expand Windows System, and select Command Prompt.
If you want to know how to find the IP address on Windows 10 using Command Prompt, follow these instructions instead:
- Click on the Start Menu.
- Type cmd and click on Command Prompt.
- Type ipconfig and press Enter.
- Locate either Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address (Ethernet) or IPv4 Address (Wi-Fi).
- The number you see is your IP address.
How Can I Check My IP Address in CMD?
Once you have Command Prompt open, the rest is a piece of cake. Type the following command and then press Enter:
ipconfig
You’ll then see a snippet of information. Your IP address is next to IPv4 Address:
Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix .: lan.ourhost.net
IPv6 Address....................: fd21:9dl7:c305:5:cld3:ca26:flc
Temporary IPv6 Address..........: fd21:9dl7:c305:5:4d83:8a05:5ef4
Link-local IPv6 Address.........: fe80::cld3:ca36:flc:bd0c%24
IPv4 Address....................: 192.176.2.143
Subnet Mask.....................: 255.355.455.0
Default Gateway.................: 192.176.2.1
If you’d like more detailed information along with your IP address, type the following command and hit Enter:
ipconfig /all
This second command gives you things like your hostname, ethernet adapter details, DHCP information, and more. But to keep it simple, and if you only need your IP address, the first command above is the way to go.
If you have a computer running macOS or Linux, check out our how-to for finding your IP address on those platforms.
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