How to Find IP Address in Windows 11 and 10 Without Tools

To find your IP address in Windows 11 or Windows 10 without installing anything, press Win + I to open Settings, go to Network & internet, click Properties next to your connected network, and read the number next to IPv4 address. But here is the part almost nobody tells you: that number is not the IP address the internet sees — it is your local, private IP, assigned by your router inside your home network. Windows cannot show you your public IP address, the one websites actually see, because your router holds that one and hides it from every device behind it.

That local-versus-public distinction matters more than most people realize, because the answer to "what is my IP address" depends on who is asking. If you are setting up file sharing between two PCs in your house, you need the local IP. If you are calling tech support because a website blocked you, you need the public IP — and no amount of digging through Windows Settings will produce it, because Windows genuinely does not know it. Your router performs Network Address Translation, which means every device in your home shares one public address while maintaining separate private ones behind it.

The good news: everything in this guide uses features already built into Windows 11 and Windows 10. No downloads, no third-party utilities, no trips to a website that might log your visit. Every method works on both Home and Pro editions, and every method is free. The even better news: there are more ways to do this than most guides cover, and some of them are faster than the ones everybody repeats.

Local IP vs. Public IP: The Distinction That Changes Everything

Before you look up a single number, you need to know which number you are looking for, because "my IP address" is ambiguous in a way that causes real confusion.

Your local IP (also called private IP)

This is the address your router assigned to your PC inside your home or office network. It looks like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x or occasionally 172.16-31.x.x — these ranges are reserved for private networks and cannot be routed on the public internet. Your local IP is what you need when you are:

• Setting up file sharing between two PCs on the same network
• Configuring port forwarding on your router to a specific device
• Connecting to a local printer or NAS (Network Attached Storage) by address
• Accessing your router's admin page
• Running a local game server or development environment
• Troubleshooting why one device cannot see another on the network

Every method in this guide — Settings, Command Prompt, PowerShell, Task Manager, Control Panel — shows you this local IP. This is the number Windows actually knows about.

Your public IP

This is the address your internet service provider assigned to your router, the single address that represents your entire home or office to the rest of the internet. When you visit a website, when you send an email, when anything leaves your network, this is the return address on the envelope.

Windows cannot show you this number. It genuinely does not have it. Your router holds the public IP and translates between it and all the local IPs behind it through a process called Network Address Translation. To find your public IP, you either need to log in to your router's admin page (which you reach using your local IP, typically the "default gateway" address), or ask an external service — a website, an API, a search engine — to tell you what address it sees when you connect.

How to tell which one you are looking at

If the number starts with 192.168. or 10. or 172.16. through 172.31., it is a local IP. If it is any other format — a random-looking set of numbers that does not fall into those ranges — it is your public IP. Your router typically has both: a local IP on your home network (often 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) and a public IP on the internet side.

Method 1: Find Your IP Address in Windows 11 Settings (No Command Line Needed)

This is the method Microsoft recommends first, and it is the one you should start with if you have never opened Command Prompt. No typing commands, no deciphering output — just Settings menus and the number you need.

For a Wi-Fi connection

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Click Network & internet in the left sidebar.
3. At the top of the page, you will see your connected network listed (for example, "MyHomeWiFi" or whatever your network is called). Click Properties next to it.
4. Scroll down to the Properties section of the network details page.
5. Look for the row labeled IPv4 address — that is your local IP address for the Wi-Fi adapter.
6. Next to it, you will also see IPv6 address (a longer, colon-separated string), IPv4 DNS servers, and other network details.

"To quickly see details about the connected network, go to Network & internet settings, then select Properties near your connected network." The IPv4 address line is what you came for.

For an Ethernet connection

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Click Network & internet.
3. Click Ethernet in the left sidebar (or in the main panel, depending on your Settings layout version).
4. Click the Properties button next to your connected Ethernet network.
5. Find the IPv4 address row — that is your wired local IP.

Same result, same page structure — Windows just routes you through the Ethernet section instead of Wi-Fi.

If you have both Wi-Fi and Ethernet active

Some PCs — particularly desktops with both a wired connection and a wireless card — have two local IP addresses simultaneously, one per adapter. The Settings method lets you see each one independently: go to the Wi-Fi Properties page for the wireless IP, and the Ethernet Properties page for the wired IP. They will be different numbers, because your router treats them as separate devices on the network.

Windows uses a metric system to decide which connection gets priority when both are active, but both adapters keep their own IP addresses regardless. If you are configuring something that needs a specific adapter's IP (port forwarding on the router, for instance), check which adapter the traffic actually uses before you commit to the number.

Method 2: Find Your IP Address in Windows 10 Settings

Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. It still runs and this method still works, but the operating system no longer receives free security updates — which is worth keeping in mind when the topic is anything touching network configuration.

The Windows 10 path is structurally the same as Windows 11 with minor label differences:

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Click Network & internet.
3. Click Status in the left sidebar (this is the default landing page).
4. Under the connection status section, click Properties for your active connection.
5. Scroll to find IPv4 address — that is your local IP.

For Wi-Fi specifically, an alternate route: click Wi-Fi in the left sidebar, then click the name of your connected network, and the properties page with the IP address opens directly. Both paths reach the same screen.

Method 3: The Command Prompt (ipconfig) — The Classic That Still Wins on Speed

If you want the fastest possible route from "I need my IP" to "here it is," the Command Prompt beats every GUI method. One word, one Enter key, and the information appears.

The Command Prompt — the black window with white text that has been part of Windows since the earliest versions — is not a third-party tool. It is built into every edition of Windows, requires no download, and the ipconfig command it runs is a Windows command, documented by Microsoft, that has been part of the operating system for decades.

Basic usage: ipconfig

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type cmd and press Enter.
3. In the black Command Prompt window, type: ipconfig
4. Press Enter.

Microsoft's documentation describes exactly what appears: "Used without parameters, ipconfig displays Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and IPv6 addresses, subnet mask, and default gateway for all adapters."

The output looks something like this:

Windows IP Configuration

Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : home
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::a1b2:c3d4:e5f6%12
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.105
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

Ethernet adapter Ethernet:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

The line you want is IPv4 Address — in this example, 192.168.1.105. The number after it is your local IP address for that adapter.

If you have multiple adapters (Wi-Fi plus Ethernet, a VPN adapter, a virtual machine adapter), you will see a section for each one. Look for the adapter that says "Media disconnected" — that one is not in use. The adapter with an IPv4 Address listed is your active connection.

Full detail: ipconfig /all

The basic command gives you the IP, subnet mask, and default gateway. For the complete picture — including your MAC address (the physical hardware address of your network card), DHCP server, DNS servers, lease times, and hostname — add the /all switch:

ipconfig /all

This are the way "to display the full TCP/IP configuration for all adapters." It produces a longer output but everything is there in one command.

Filtering to just what you need

If the output is too noisy on a machine with many adapters, you can pipe it through a filter to show only the lines containing "IPv4":

ipconfig | findstr "IPv4"

This produces a clean list of just the IP address lines — one per active adapter — with none of the surrounding context. Handy when you are in a hurry or reading the output to someone over the phone.

Method 4: PowerShell — The Modern, Scriptable Approach

PowerShell is Windows' newer command-line environment, more powerful than the old Command Prompt and increasingly the way Microsoft expects administrators to interact with the system. For finding an IP address, it offers structured output that is easier to script and filter than the plain text that ipconfig produces.

PowerShell is pre-installed on every copy of Windows 10 and Windows 11 — no download, no activation, nothing to install. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Windows 11) or Windows PowerShell (Windows 10), or search for "PowerShell" in the Start menu.

The Get-NetIPAddress command

Microsoft's documentation describes this cmdlet precisely: "The Get-NetIPAddress cmdlet gets the IP address configuration, such as IPv4 addresses, IPv6 addresses and the IP interfaces with which addresses are associated. Without parameters, this cmdlet gets the entire IP address configuration for the computer."

To see everything:

Get-NetIPAddress

This produces a long list of every IP address on every adapter — IPv4 and IPv6, physical and virtual, active and inactive. Useful if you want the complete picture, noisy if you just want your main IP.

Filtering to IPv4 only

To show only IPv4 addresses (the format most people actually need):

Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4

This cuts the output down to just the IPv4 entries, one per adapter. Look for the IPAddress column and find the adapter you are actively using (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).

Formatting the output as a table

For a cleaner display, pipe the output through Format-Table:

Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 | Format-Table

Microsoft's documentation includes this exact example and notes: "The table format provides a convenient overview for computers with many IP addresses."

The companion: Get-NetIPConfiguration

For IP address plus DNS servers plus gateway in one structured output:

Get-NetIPConfiguration

This gives you the adapter name, its IPv4 address, the default gateway (your router's local IP), and the DNS servers — everything you need for network troubleshooting in a single command. It is PowerShell's answer to ipconfig /all, with output that is easier to read and easier to script against.

Filtering to a specific adapter

If you know which adapter you care about (for example, Wi-Fi):

Get-NetIPAddress -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" -AddressFamily IPv4

Or for Ethernet:

Get-NetIPAddress -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet" -AddressFamily IPv4

This eliminates all the noise from other adapters and gives you exactly one IP address — the one on the adapter you named.

Method 5: Task Manager — The One Nobody Told You About

Task Manager has a Performance tab that shows real-time graphs of CPU, memory, disk, and network usage. What most people do not realize is that when you click on a network adapter in that tab, the details panel shows the adapter's IPv4 and IPv6 addresses alongside the send/receive statistics.

This is the fastest visual method — no command line, no scrolling through Settings menus, and the information is displayed in a compact side panel that fits on any screen.

How to get there

1. Right-click the taskbar (or press Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
2. Select Task Manager.
3. Click the Performance tab.
4. In the left sidebar, click on Wi-Fi or Ethernet (whichever adapter you are interested in).
5. Look at the details panel below the real-time graph — find the rows for IPv4 and IPv6.

The IPv4 value shown there is your local IP address for that adapter. The panel also shows the adapter's name (useful for identifying which one is which), its link speed, its MAC address, and the SSID if it is a Wi-Fi connection.

Method 6: Control Panel — The Old-School Route

Control Panel is the pre-Windows-10 settings interface, and while Microsoft has been moving settings to the new Settings app for years, the network section still works. This method is worth knowing because it gives you the classic adapter status dialog, which some people find clearer than the newer interfaces.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type ncpa.cpl and press Enter — this opens the Network Connections window directly.
3. Double-click the adapter you are interested in (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
4. Click the Details button.
5. In the Network Connection Details list, find IPv4 Address — that is your local IP.

An alternative route through the full Control Panel:

1. Open Control Panel (search for it in the Start menu, or run control from the Run dialog).
2. Click Network and Internet.
3. Click Network and Sharing Center.
4. Click Change adapter settings in the left sidebar.
5. Double-click your active adapter.
6. Click Details.

The Details view shows the same information as ipconfig /all, but in a scrollable GUI list rather than a command-line dump. Some people find it easier to read, especially for comparing multiple values (IP address, subnet mask, gateway, DNS) side by side.

Which Method Should You Use? A Comparison

The honest recommendation: use Settings if you are doing this for the first time or need context, ipconfig if you need it fast or need it often, Task Manager if it is already open, and PowerShell if you are scripting or administering multiple machines.

Reading the Output: What All Those Other Numbers Mean

When you find your IP address, you also see a cluster of other numbers around it — subnet mask, default gateway, DNS servers, IPv6 address. Knowing what these mean turns you from someone who can find a number into someone who understands what the number is for.

IPv4 vs. IPv6: the two addresses on every modern PC

Your PC has both an IPv4 address and an IPv6 address, and they are completely different formats:

• IPv4 looks like 192.168.1.105 — four numbers from 0 to 255, separated by periods. This is the older format (from the 1980s) and the one most home networks, routers, and guides still primarily use. It supports about 4.3 billion unique addresses.
• IPv6 looks like fe80::a1b2:c3d4:e5f6%12 or 2001:db8::8a2e:370:7334 — eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, separated by colons. This is the newer format designed to solve the address shortage, supporting an effectively unlimited number of addresses.

When someone says "find my IP address" in a home or small-office context, they almost always mean the IPv4 address. It is the one your router uses to identify your PC on the local network, the one you need for port forwarding and file sharing, and the one tech support asks for. The IPv6 address exists and is functional, but most home router configurations still run primarily on IPv4.

Subnet mask (usually 255.255.255.0)

The subnet mask tells your PC which part of the IP address identifies the network and which part identifies the specific device. On home networks, it is almost always 255.255.255.0, which means the first three numbers identify your local network and the last number identifies your specific PC within it. You rarely need to think about this unless you are setting up custom network configurations.

Default gateway (your router's local IP)

The default gateway is the local IP address of your router — typically 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 on home networks. This is where your PC sends all traffic destined for outside your local network. If you need to access your router's admin page (to change Wi-Fi settings, set up port forwarding, or update the password), you type this address into a web browser.

Finding your default gateway is a bonus of running ipconfig: it appears right below your IPv4 address in the output, and it is the address you need for the next step in most network configuration tasks.

DNS servers

DNS (Domain Name System) servers are the phone books of the internet — they translate human-readable names (like google.com) into IP addresses that computers can route to. Your DNS servers listed here are usually your router (which then forwards to your ISP's DNS) or a public DNS service if you have configured one. If websites fail to load by name but load by IP, the DNS configuration is the likely culprit.

A quick diagnostic trick: if you can ping a website by IP address (for example, ping 8.8.8.8) but not by name (for example, ping google.com), your DNS is the problem, not your connection. Your PC is reaching the internet fine; it just cannot figure out where "google.com" lives. This distinction saves hours of troubleshooting your router when the router was never broken.

Finding Your Public IP Address (Because Windows Cannot Do It)

Since Windows genuinely cannot tell you your public IP — the number assigned to your router by your internet service provider — here are the two ways to find it when you need it:

Option 1: Ask a website

Open any web browser and go to a site that displays your public IP. Your search engine of choice may show it directly if you search for "what is my IP" — the result often appears at the top of the search results page without needing to click through to any site. This is the quickest method and involves no downloads.

For a more detailed view (including approximate location, ISP name, and whether you are behind a proxy or VPN), dedicated IP-lookup sites exist. The tradeoff: you are trusting that site with a record of your visit, and the address it shows you is your public IP — the same one every website you visit already sees.

Option 2: Check your router

Log in to your router's admin page using the default gateway address you found earlier (typically 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in a browser). The public IP address — sometimes called "WAN IP," "Internet IP," or "External IP" — appears in the router's status or internet section. Exact location varies by router manufacturer, but it is usually on the main status page or under a "WAN" or "Internet" heading.

This method keeps everything inside your own network, but requires knowing your router's admin password and navigating a manufacturer-specific interface that varies widely.

Why You Might Have Multiple IP Addresses (and Which One Matters)

When you run ipconfig on a modern PC, you often see more than one adapter section — sometimes four or five. Each represents a network interface, and each active one has its own IP address. Here is what they typically are:

The adapter you care about is whichever one says "connected" and has an IPv4 address in the private ranges (192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x). The others are either inactive or belong to virtualization and internal systems you do not need for typical home or office tasks.

The VPN wrinkle

If you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network), it creates a new virtual network adapter with its own IP address — one assigned by the VPN server, not your home router. When the VPN is active, this adapter becomes the default route for your traffic, and your effective IP address (the one websites see) changes to the VPN server's public IP.

This creates a confusing situation: Windows shows multiple IP addresses (your local one from your router, plus the VPN adapter's one), and "what is my IP" has three possible answers — your local IP, your VPN adapter's IP, and your public IP (which is now the VPN's public IP, not your ISP's). If you are troubleshooting connectivity while on a VPN, checking which adapter Windows is actually routing through is the first step.

How to Make Your IP Address Stay the Same (Static IP)

If you found your IP address because you need it for something — port forwarding, a local server, remote access, file sharing — you will discover an annoying truth: the address changes. Your router uses DHCP to assign addresses dynamically, and when a lease expires, your PC may get a different number next time. The fix is either a static IP set on the PC itself, or a DHCP reservation set on the router. Both keep your IP the same; they just do it from different ends.

Setting a static IP in Windows 11

Microsoft's documentation on changing TCP/IP settings describes the path: "If you need to update your device's IP assignment" — go to Network & internet settings, and the IP assignment section has an Edit button.

1. Press Win + I and go to Network & internet.
2. Click Properties next to your connected network.
3. Scroll to find IP assignment and click the Edit button.
4. In the Edit IP settings dropdown, select Manual.
5. Toggle IPv4 to On.
6. Enter your desired IP address — pick one within your router's range but outside its DHCP pool (for example, if your router assigns 192.168.1.100 through 192.168.1.200, choose 192.168.1.50).
7. Enter the Subnet mask (almost always 255.255.255.0 on home networks).
8. Enter the Gateway — your router's IP, which you found earlier in the default gateway line.
9. Enter your Preferred DNS — typically your router's IP, or a public DNS like your ISP's, or 8.8.8.8 for Google's.
10. Click Save.

Setting a static IP in Windows 10

The path in Windows 10 reaches the same place through a slightly different route:

1. Press Win + I and go to Network & internet.
2. Click Change adapter options (or go to Control Panel → Network Connections).
3. Right-click your active adapter and select Properties.
4. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
5. Select Use the following IP address.
6. Enter the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers as described above.
7. Click OK.

The alternative: DHCP reservation on the router

The other approach is to let Windows keep asking for an IP automatically (DHCP), but tell your router to always give the same one. This is generally the better approach for home users because:

• You cannot accidentally pick an IP that conflicts with another device (the router manages the pool)
• Windows still gets DNS and gateway settings automatically
• If you take the PC to another network, it reverts to normal DHCP behavior without leftover manual settings breaking things

To set a reservation, log in to your router (the default gateway address in a browser), find the DHCP or LAN settings section, and look for "static lease," "address reservation," or "DHCP reservation." You will need your PC's MAC address, which appears in the ipconfig /all output (labeled "Physical Address") or in the Task Manager Performance tab. Every router manufacturer puts this in a slightly different place, but the concept is identical everywhere.

IT Admin: Finding IPs Across Multiple Machines

For administrators managing fleets of machines, the single-PC methods are too slow. Here are the approaches that scale:

Remote PowerShell

If remote management is enabled on target machines, you can query IP addresses remotely:

Invoke-Command -ComputerName TARGET-PC -ScriptBlock { Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 } | Format-Table

This runs Get-NetIPAddress on the remote machine and returns the results to your console, letting you audit IP configurations without walking to each desk.

Scripted output for multiple machines

To collect IPs from a list of computers:

$computers = "PC1", "PC2", "PC3"
foreach ($computer in $computers) {
    $ip = Invoke-Command -ComputerName $computer -ScriptBlock {
        (Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 | Where-Object { $_.InterfaceAlias -notlike "*Loopback*" } | Select-Object -First 1).IPAddress
    }
    Write-Output "$computer : $ip"
}

This produces a simple name-to-IP mapping for every machine on the list, which can then be exported to a CSV or compared against expected values.

DHCP scope context for diagnosis

In a managed environment, IP address assignments are typically handled by DHCP (automatic) rather than static configuration. The DHCP scope — the range of addresses the server is allowed to hand out — is the first thing to check when a user reports connectivity problems on multiple machines simultaneously. If the scope is exhausted (every address in the pool is leased), new devices cannot get an IP and will fall back to APIPA.

APIPA — Automatic Private IP Addressing — is what Windows uses when it cannot reach a DHCP server. The addresses it self-assigns are in the 169.254.x.x range, which is a dead giveaway when you see it in ipconfig output. On a managed network, a machine showing 169.254.x.x means one of three things: the network cable is unplugged, the Wi-Fi is not connected, or the DHCP server is unreachable (which might mean a switch is down, a VLAN is misconfigured, or the scope is exhausted). All three are diagnosable from the ipconfig output before escalating.

A single machine on APIPA points to a local problem (cable, adapter, driver). Multiple machines on APIPA simultaneously points to infrastructure — the DHCP server or the path to it. This distinction saves the first thirty minutes of any network outage investigation.

When Something Looks Wrong: Troubleshooting IP Display Issues

Problem 1: Your IP starts with 169.254.x.x

What it means: This is an APIPA address — Automatic Private IP Addressing. Windows assigns one to itself when it cannot reach a DHCP server to get a proper address. It means your PC is not properly connected to the network, or the router's DHCP service is not responding.

Fix: Check the physical connection (Ethernet cable seated, Wi-Fi connected to the right network), then run the network troubleshooter (Settings → Network & internet → the troubleshooter link). If the issue persists, restart the router.

Problem 2: No IPv4 address appears at all

What it means: The adapter is either disconnected (Wi-Fi is off, Ethernet cable is unplugged) or the adapter is disabled in Windows.

Fix: Check Settings → Network & internet to see if the connection is toggled on. For Ethernet, run ncpa.cpl to check if the adapter shows as disabled (right-click to enable). For Wi-Fi, make sure airplane mode is off and Wi-Fi is on.

Problem 3: The IP address keeps changing

What it means: Your router uses DHCP with a lease time, and when the lease expires, the router may assign a different address from its pool. This is normal behavior.

Fix: If you need a consistent IP, see the static IP section above — either set a static IP on the PC or configure a DHCP reservation on the router.

Problem 4: The Settings page is blank or shows no network

What it means: Either the network adapter driver is missing or corrupted, or a third-party security tool is interfering with the network stack.

Fix: Open Device Manager (right-click Start → Device Manager), expand Network adapters, and check for warning icons. If the adapter shows an error, right-click and select Update driver, or uninstall and restart to let Windows reinstall it. On a managed PC, check with IT before making driver changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find my IP address in Windows 11 without Command Prompt?

Open Settings with Win+I, go to Network & internet, and click Properties next to your connected network. The IPv4 address listed there is your local IP. No command line is needed — this is the most beginner-friendly method and the one Microsoft recommends first.

How do I find my IP address in Windows 10 without Command Prompt?

Open Settings, go to Network & internet, click Status, then click Properties for your active connection. The IPv4 address appears in the network properties list. Alternatively, use Task Manager — right-click the taskbar, open Task Manager, go to the Performance tab, click on your network adapter, and the IPv4 address appears in the details panel.

What is the fastest way to find my IP address in Windows?

Open Command Prompt (Win+R, type cmd, press Enter), type ipconfig, and press Enter. The IPv4 Address line appears within about three seconds. For even faster filtering: ipconfig | findstr "IPv4" shows only the IP lines. This is the fastest method on any Windows PC.

What is the difference between my local IP and my public IP?

Your local IP is the address your router assigned to your PC inside your home network — it typically starts with 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x. Your public IP is the address your internet service provider assigned to your router, representing your entire network to the outside world. Windows can show you your local IP; your public IP requires either checking your router or visiting an external website, because Windows does not have that information.

Why does my IP address start with 169.254?

A 169.254.x.x address is an APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing) address that Windows assigns to itself when it cannot reach a DHCP server to obtain a proper IP. It means your PC is not successfully connected to the network — check your cable, Wi-Fi connection, or router status.

How do I find my public IP address?

Windows cannot show you your public IP. To find it, either search for "what is my IP" in any search engine (the result often appears directly in the search results), or log in to your router's admin page (use the default gateway address from ipconfig, typically 192.168.1.1) and look for the WAN or Internet IP address.

What does ipconfig show?

Run without parameters, ipconfig shows the IPv4 address, IPv6 address, subnet mask, and default gateway for all network adapters. Run with the /all switch (ipconfig /all), it additionally shows the hostname, DNS servers, DHCP server, physical MAC address, and lease information. It is the most information-dense single command for network configuration on Windows.

Can I find my IP address in Task Manager?

Yes. Right-click the taskbar, open Task Manager, go to the Performance tab, and click on Wi-Fi or Ethernet in the left sidebar. The details panel below the real-time graph shows the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses for that adapter, along with the adapter name, link speed, and MAC address.

Why do I have multiple IP addresses on my PC?

Each network adapter — Wi-Fi, Ethernet, virtual adapters from Hyper-V or VPN software — gets its own IP address. This is normal. The adapter you care about is the one showing as connected with a 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x address. Virtual adapters and disconnected interfaces can be ignored for most purposes.

How do I find the IP address of another device on my network?

Windows does not have a built-in network scanner, but you can use the arp -a command in Command Prompt to see a list of IP addresses and their corresponding MAC addresses for devices your PC has recently communicated with. Alternatively, log in to your router's admin page — most routers show a list of all connected devices and their IP addresses.

What is the default gateway in ipconfig output?

The default gateway is your router's local IP address — typically 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 on home networks. It is the address your PC sends traffic to when the destination is outside your local network. You use this address in a web browser to access your router's admin settings.

Does a VPN change my IP address?

Yes. When a VPN is active, it creates a new virtual network adapter with an IP address assigned by the VPN server. Your visible public IP changes to the VPN server's IP, not your ISP's. In ipconfig output, you will see the VPN adapter with its own separate IP address alongside your regular network adapter.

How do I find my IP address using PowerShell?

Open PowerShell (right-click Start and select Terminal or PowerShell), then run Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4. This shows all IPv4 addresses with their associated adapters. For a cleaner table view, add | Format-Table to the end. Get-NetIPConfiguration shows the same information plus DNS servers and gateway.

Why does my IP address change?

Your router uses DHCP to assign IP addresses with a time limit (a lease). When the lease expires, the router may assign a different address from its pool. If you need a consistent IP for port forwarding or local services, set a static IP in Windows or configure a DHCP reservation on your router.

What is the difference between a static IP and a dynamic IP?

A dynamic IP is assigned automatically by your router's DHCP server and may change when the lease expires. A static IP is manually configured on the PC (or reserved on the router) and never changes. Dynamic is the default and works fine for most devices; static is what you want for devices that other things connect to — a local server, a network printer, a security camera system — because those need a predictable address to be reachable.

Can I find my IP address without opening anything?

Not without any interaction, but the closest is right-clicking the network icon in the taskbar (the Wi-Fi or Ethernet symbol) and selecting Network and internet settings — the Properties page is one more click from there. The truly fastest is Win+R, cmd, ipconfig, which takes about four seconds from cold start.

Wrapping Up: The Method That Fits You

If you are reading this because you need your IP address right now, the thirty-second answer: Win+I, Network & internet, Properties next to your connection, and the IPv4 address is there. Done.

If you are reading this because you want to understand what the number means and which number you actually need — the local-versus-public split at the top of this guide is the takeaway that prevents every downstream confusion. Tech support asking for your IP almost always means your public one. Windows showing you an IP almost always means your local one. The gap between those two facts is where most "but the website said my IP was different" conversations go sideways.

Jake ended up printing the Quick Answer box and taping it to the shop counter. Ethan's verdict: "You now know more about IP addresses than most people who work in IT. Use that knowledge for good — or at least stop sending your local IP to game server admins who asked for your public one."

Revision note. Updated September 2026, covering Windows 11 and Windows 10. The Settings paths, Command Prompt commands, and PowerShell cmdlets described here have been stable for years and are unlikely to change without a major Windows redesign. If you have been fumbling through menus trying to find a number that Windows had all along, you are far from the only one — and the fact that you took the time to understand it rather than just copying a number puts you ahead of most people who never look twice.