How to Find Your IP Address on Windows 11

To find your IP address in Windows 11, open Settings > Network & internet, select Wi-Fi and then the network you are connected to (or select Ethernet), and read the line labeled IPv4 address. That number is your local IP address, the one your router gave this PC. If you prefer a command, open Terminal, type ipconfig, and press Enter.

Your public IP address, the one websites see, is a different number. Both are covered below, along with what to do when the address is missing or looks wrong.

Before You Start: Local vs. Public IP Address

An IP address is a number that identifies a device on a network. A Windows 11 PC on a home network is usually involved with two of them, and which one you need depends on the job.

Type	Who assigns it	Where to find it	Typical use
Local (private) IP	Usually your router	Settings or ipconfig on the PC	File and printer sharing, Remote Desktop inside your network, router setup
Public IP	Your internet provider	A web lookup or your router’s status page	Remote access from outside, troubleshooting with your provider

These Windows steps apply to Windows 11 Home and Pro. You do not need an administrator account to view an IP address, and the viewing steps do not change network settings. Read the troubleshooting section later in this guide before you reset or renew anything. The PC needs an active network connection to have a network address.

Find Your Local IP Address in Settings

This is the method in Microsoft’s network settings guide, and it needs no typing.

1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings, or select Start > Settings.
2. Select Network & internet in the left column. The top of the page shows the network you are connected to and its status.
3. On Wi-Fi, select Wi-Fi, then select the Wi-Fi network you are connected to. On a wired connection, select Ethernet.
4. Scroll down the properties page to IPv4 address. The value beside it, four groups of numbers such as 192.168.1.24, is your local IP address.

A shortcut: on the Network & internet page, select Properties next to your connected network at the top. It opens the same details page in one click. You can also reach these settings by right-clicking the network or Wi-Fi icon on the taskbar and selecting Network and internet settings.

The same page lists an IPv6 address if your network uses one, and IP assignment, which says Automatic (DHCP) when the router hands out the address or Manual when someone typed it in. DHCP is the system routers use to give each device an address automatically.

Find Your IP Address With ipconfig

The ipconfig command lists every network adapter at once and also shows your router’s address, which the Wi-Fi properties page may not.

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal. If you do not see it, select Start, type cmd, and open Command Prompt. For other ways, read about opening Command Prompt in Windows 11.
2. Type ipconfig and press Enter.
3. Find the section for the adapter you are using, such as Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter Ethernet.
4. Read the IPv4 Address line. That is this PC’s local IP address.

Microsoft’s ipconfig reference says the command, used with nothing after it, shows the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, subnet mask, and default gateway for all adapters. The Default Gateway is normally your router, and it is the address you type into a browser to sign in to the router, for example to update router firmware.

For more detail, run ipconfig /all. It adds the full configuration for each adapter, including the DHCP server, DNS servers, and the adapter’s physical (MAC) address.

To read those DNS lines correctly, here is how to find your primary and secondary DNS servers.

PowerShell alternative

In a PowerShell tab in Terminal, Get-NetIPConfiguration shows the IP addresses and DNS servers for each connected adapter and, per Microsoft’s cmdlet reference, skips virtual and disconnected ones unless you add -All. To list only IPv4 addresses, run Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4.

Other Places Windows 11 Shows the Address

These routes show the same number. Menu names can vary a little between Windows 11 updates, so use Settings or ipconfig if one does not match your screen.

• All adapters in Settings: go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings and look for Hardware and connection properties. It lists each adapter with its addresses, gateway, and DNS servers on one page.
• Task Manager: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, open Performance, and select Wi-Fi or Ethernet. The IPv4 and IPv6 addresses appear under the graph.
• Control Panel: open Network and Sharing Center, select the link beside Connections, then select Details.

To work with the adapter itself rather than read its address, open adapter settings in Windows 11.

Find Your Public IP Address

Windows shows your PC’s local address, not the public address websites see. On a typical home network, your router shares one public IPv4 address among all your devices. To find it, use either of these methods:

• Open a browser and search for what is my IP. Many search engines show the address at the top of the results.
• Sign in to your router and look at its internet or WAN status page. The label varies by router brand.

Every device on your home network usually shows the same public IPv4 address. If you’re connected to a VPN, a lookup shows the VPN server’s address instead. For a phone’s network details, here is how to find the IP address on an Android phone.

How to Tell You Have the Right Address

Local IPv4 addresses almost always start with 192.168., 10., or 172.16. through 172.31. If the address you found starts with one of these, it’s your local address, not the public one websites see.

The address in Settings and the address in ipconfig should match for the same adapter. If the PC has both Wi-Fi and Ethernet connected, each adapter has its own address, so give other people the one for the connection they will actually use.

How to Find Your MAC Address on Windows 11

Your MAC address, labeled Physical address (MAC) in Windows 11, is the hardware ID of a network adapter, and you can read it in Settings or with one command.

1. Press Windows key + I and select Network & internet.
2. On Wi-Fi, select Wi-Fi, then Hardware properties. On a wired connection, select Ethernet.
3. Scroll to Physical address (MAC). The value is six pairs of letters and numbers separated by hyphens, such as 3C-52-82-1A-4B-9F.

For a command, open Terminal and run getmac /v. Microsoft’s getmac reference explains that it lists the MAC address of every network adapter, and the /v switch adds each connection’s name so you can tell Wi-Fi from Ethernet. The ipconfig /all command covered above shows the same value on each adapter’s Physical Address line.

Each adapter has its own address, so copy the one for the connection you plan to use. If Random hardware addresses is turned on under Network & internet > Wi-Fi, Windows can present a different address to Wi-Fi networks than the adapter’s built-in one. Turn it off for that network if a router’s MAC filter or reservation has to match.

Troubleshooting

There is no IPv4 address line

Check that you opened the properties of the network you are connected to. In ipconfig, an adapter that is not connected shows Media disconnected and no address. Connect to Wi-Fi or plug in the cable, then look again.

The address starts with 169.254

That generally means Windows assigned itself a temporary address because it did not get one from the router. Microsoft’s ipconfig reference calls this Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). The PC usually cannot reach the internet in this state. Restart the router and reconnect. If that fails, you can ask for a new address with the two commands below.

Warning: ipconfig /release drops your network connection until you run ipconfig /renew. Do not run it over a remote session, and save any online work first.

1. In Terminal, type ipconfig /release and press Enter.
2. Type ipconfig /renew and press Enter, then run ipconfig to see the new address.

These renewal commands apply to adapters that get their address automatically through DHCP. If the problem continues, troubleshoot that one connection first. A Windows network reset goes further: you may have to reconnect or set up your adapters and VPN software again, so read what it does and write down any settings you need before you use it. You don’t need a reset just to view an IP address.

The list in ipconfig is long and confusing

VPN apps, virtual machines, and Bluetooth each add their own adapter. Ignore them and read only the section named for your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter, the one that has a Default Gateway value.

Settings are locked on a work PC

Viewing the address normally still works. Changing it may be blocked by your organization, in which case ask your IT department.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Step

Write down the IPv4 address and the Default Gateway from ipconfig. Those two values cover most home network jobs, from sharing a folder to signing in to your router.