TCP/IP computer networks use two types of IP addresses - public (also called external) and private (sometimes called internal or local).
You may need a public IP address when setting up a file server or website, while a private IP address is useful for communicating with local devices, forwarding router ports, or accessing the router to make network changes.
So how do you find a public IP address, and how do you find an IP address in Windows, macOS, or Linux?
How to Find Your Computer’s IP Address at Home
Public IP addresses are the "face" of the network. This is the unique IP address used by all local network devices to connect to the Internet and access websites.
On a home network, the public IP address belongs to the router because the router communicates with devices outside the local network.
However, there are easier ways to find your IP address than searching around in your router. Here are some websites that can identify your public IP address. Open any of the following websites in the browser of your computer or mobile device and let it display the Internet address:
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WhatIsMyIPAddress
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IP Chicken
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WhatIsMyIP
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IP-Lookup
Since this information is public, you can sometimes find the owner of an IP address by searching for it on an IP lookup website, to some extent.
If you run a VPN, the IP address shown on IP lookup websites only shows the address used by the VPN, not the real address assigned to your network by your ISP.
How to Find a Computer's IP Address on a Computer
A private IP address is an address that every device on your local network must have if it wants to communicate with the router and other devices. It facilitates communication between all local devices and ultimately allows every device to access the Internet.
Note: IP address conflicts can occur if multiple devices on the local network use the same IP address.
How to find local IP in Windows
On all modern versions of Windows, running the ipconfig utility from the command prompt or Windows PowerShell displays a list of addresses assigned to the PC.
If you are connected to a local network via Wi-Fi, the active IP address will be displayed under the "Wireless LAN Adapter Wireless Network Connection" section of the ipconfig output. If you are connected via an Ethernet cable, the address appears under "LAN Connection" for the Ethernet adapter. If you are connected to two networks at the same time, both IP addresses will be displayed.
NOTE: The winipcfg utility is only used to identify IP addresses on older versions of Windows (Win95/98 and Windows ME).
How to find local IP in macOS
On Apple Mac devices, there are two ways to find the local IP address.
The first is System Preferences. Open the Network pane to view the IP addresses listed under Status.
The other way is slightly more complicated. Open a terminal utility and run the ifconfig command. The IP address (and other local network configuration details) is listed next to the name inet.
NOTE: Listed together with the IP address is the so-called loopback address. You can ignore this entry.
How to find local IP in Linux
Linux IP addresses can be found by running the ifconfig utility. The IP address is listed next to the name eth0.
