Education, Technology

Find Your IP Address | Windows | MAC | Android

By

David Mudd

Knowing how to find the IP address of your network or computer is crucial. When you want to troubleshoot or configure a network, getting your computer’s IP address is usually the first step. Read along to understand the best way to find your IP address for different operating systems.

Types of IP Addresses

Two types of IP addresses are available. They are local, or internal, and public, also known as external IP addresses. You acquire a public address from your internet service provider, which enables the internet to identify your network. Every gadget on your local network comes with an exclusive local IP address, which the router on your local internet network assigns.

Why do you need an IP Address?

You may require a local IP address to do various things, such as solving technical issues with your network or configuring printers. If you experience internet-based problems that knowing how to find your IP address becomes crucial.

Remember, your technical support person will want to know your IP address if: you want to want to allow them to repair your network remotely or if you lose your internet connection. Apart from knowing the best way to get free IP address from Sweden, it’s crucial to know that the internet comes with numerous standards known as TCP/IP. With these, knowing your IP address would not be necessary.

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Sometimes even when you know your public IP address, you should make a point of checking lest it will have changed. Often, the IP address your ISP assigns you is static, which means it does not change. However, our internet service provider reserves the right to modify your public IP address to make it dynamic for business reasons.

The difference between dynamic and static addresses lies at the base of numerous connectivity issues. As you attempt to determine your IP address, you are likely to see two varying versions presented as IPv6 and IPv4. While the computer world is fast adopting IPv6, oftentimes, you will only need to focus on IPv4.

Finding Your External IP Address

All you need to find your external IP address is to visit WhatIsMyIP.com. Your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses will appear at the top of the page.

Finding Internal IP Address

Finding your internal IP address is more sophisticated. Let’s find out how to go about it.

Find Internal IP Address for Windows

Launch the Command Prompt through your Windows Start menu and type “ipconfig” then press enter. Check for the line where the IPv4 address appears. The number beside the text s your internal IP address.  

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Find Internal IP Address on a Mac

Click on the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.

Click the View menu and choose Network. You can also double click the Network icon from the System Preferences window.

Click network connection in the left column. You can either click Wi-Fi or Ethernet depending on your connection type (wireless or wired)

If you have an Ethernet connection, then the local IP address will appear. However, if you are using a Wi-Fi connection, you will want to click on the Advanced option at the low-right corner. Click the TCP/IP option at the top part of the window, and the IP address will appear.

Finding Your Internal IP Address on MacOS Terminal App

If you do not fancy windows and menus, you can launch the MacOS Terminal App and leverage the command prompt to determine your internal IP address. Here is how to go about it.

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Launch the Terminal. You can find it in the Applications folder inside the Utilities sub-folder

Enter the “ipconfig getifaddr en1” command at the command prompt. There you will find the IP address for your wired Ethernet connection.

Enter the “ipconfig getifaddr en0” command to determine your wireless connection’s IP address. To find out your public IP address from the Mac Terminal, enter the “curl ifconfig. me” command.

Find IP Address on Android

While android gadgets are similar, these instructions may differ depending on the device you are using.

Click on the Settings icon, then tap “Network & Internet.” Click on the Wi-Fi option. Click the gear option on the right side of your wireless network, before clicking on Advanced near the bottom part on the next screen. Scroll down slightly and to reveal your gadget’s IPv4 address.

iOS

Click the Settings icon and tap Wi-Fi. Click on the circled “i” at the right of your network to reveal your IPv4 address. You can also find your IPv6 address below it.

Finally

Snoops and websites use your public IP address to peep on your browsing activities on the internet. While it sometimes helps you get localized and personalized content, it can also be dangerous and tedious. Devise ways to make it hard for snoops to find you. One of the best ways to hide your public IP is to use a reliable VPN.