How to Find Your IP Address on Windows 11

Understanding Your IP Addresses

Your computer needs an address to connect to the internet, just like your house has a street address. This address is called an IP address. Windows 11 uses two main types: IPv4, the older common type like 192.168.1.1, and IPv6, a newer type with more addresses like 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e.

You also have two kinds of IP addresses:

• Private IP Address: This is the address your device gets from your router when it connects to your home network (also called your Local Area Network, or LAN). Other devices on your network use this address to see and talk to your computer. It’s like your house number on your street. This address isn’t directly visible from the internet.
• Public IP Address: This is the address your Internet Service Provider (ISP) assigns to your router. It’s the address that the rest of the internet sees when your devices connect. It’s like your neighborhood’s zip code – it identifies your whole network to the outside world.

Knowing your IP address can be super helpful for troubleshooting network issues, setting up port forwarding for games or servers, or even just understanding how your network is configured.

Method 1Finding Your Private IP Address in Settings

You can easily find your private IP address, the one used on your home network, using the Windows 11 Settings app. This method is quick and uses the modern Windows interface. Just open Settings, go to Network & internet, and your IP address will be listed there.

1. Open Settings. You can do this by clicking the Start button and then clicking the gear icon for Settings, or by pressing Ctrl+I on your keyboard.
2. Navigate to Network & internet. In the Settings window, look for "Network & internet" in the left-hand sidebar and click on it.
3. View your network properties. Your current network connection will be listed. Click on "Properties" next to the network you're currently using (e.g., Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
   

   💡Tip

   If you have multiple network adapters, make sure you click on the one that's actually connected and active.
4. Find your IP addresses. Scroll down the Properties page. You'll see sections for "IPv4 address" and "IPv6 address." These are your private IP addresses for your current network connection.
   

   Your computer displays your private IP addresses on the network connection Properties page. Scroll down the Properties page to find sections labeled "IPv4 address" and "IPv6 address." Do not confuse these with the "Default gateway" address. The default gateway is typically your router's IP address, which your computer uses to send information outside your local network.

Method 2Finding Your Private IP Address in Control Panel

The classic Control Panel still lets you find your private IP address if you prefer its layout. Open the Control Panel, switch to Icon view, and click on Network and Sharing Center. From there, you can easily access your connection details to see your IP address.

1. Open Control Panel. You can search for "Control Panel" in the Start menu search bar and open it. Make sure you're in "Icon view" (you can change this at the top right of the Control Panel window) and click on "Network and Sharing Center."
2. Access your connection details. In the Network and Sharing Center, you'll see your active network connection listed next to "Connections." Click on the name of your network connection (e.g., "Wi-Fi (NetworkName)" or "Ethernet").
3. View the details. A new window will pop up showing the status of your connection. Click the "Details..." button.
4. Locate your IP addresses. In the "Network Connection Details" window, you'll find your "IPv4 Address" and "IPv6 Address" listed under the adapter's details. You’ll also see other useful information like your default gateway and DNS server addresses here.

Method 3Finding Your Private IP Address in Task Manager

Task Manager displays your private IP address, which is convenient if you already have Task Manager open. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, then select the Performance tab. Choose your network adapter from the list on the left, and Task Manager will show your IP address on the right.

1. Open Task Manager. The fastest way is to press Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard.
2. Go to the Performance tab. Click on the "Performance" tab in Task Manager.
3. Select your network adapter. In the left-hand pane, you'll see different performance categories. Click on the network adapter you're currently using, like "Wi-Fi" or "Ethernet."
4. See your IP address. On the right side of the window, you'll see various statistics for that network adapter. Look for the "IPv4 address" and "IPv6 address" listed there. They might be a bit further down the list.
   

   Your IP address appears in the network adapter's statistics. On the right side of the window, locate the "IPv4 address" and "IPv6 address" entries, which may be further down the list. This view shows your IP address and real-time network activity.

Method 4Finding Your Private IP Address Using the Command Prompt (ipconfig)

You can find your private IP address using a simple command in the Command Prompt. Open Command Prompt by searching for it in the Start menu. Then, type the command `ipconfig` and press Enter. Look for the 'IPv4 Address' under your active network connection to see your IP.

1. Open Command Prompt or Windows Terminal. Search for "Command Prompt" or "Windows Terminal" in the Start menu and open it. Running it as an administrator is optional but not required for this command.
2. Run the ipconfig command. Type the following command and press Enter:
   

   ⬛Command Prompt

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   ipconfig /all

   
   The /all switch tells ipconfig to show you a lot more detailed information about all your network adapters.
   
3. Find your IP addresses. Scroll through the output. You'll see sections for each of your network adapters (like "Ethernet adapter" or "Wireless LAN adapter"). Under the adapter that's connected, look for "IPv4 Address" and "IPv6 Address."
   

   💡Tip

   The output also shows your physical address (MAC address) and whether DHCP is enabled, which is how your router assigns IP addresses automatically.

Method 5Finding Your Private IP Address Using PowerShell (Get-NetIPConfiguration)

The modern PowerShell tool can also show you your private IP address. Open Windows PowerShell by searching for it in the Start menu. Type the command `Get-NetIPConfiguration` and press Enter. Your IP address will be listed in the output, usually under 'IPv4Address'.

1. Open Windows PowerShell. Search for "Windows PowerShell" in the Start menu and open it. Again, running as administrator isn't required for this.
2. Run the Get-NetIPConfiguration command. Type the following command and press Enter:
   

   Your IP addresses appear in the command output. This command lists your network adapters and their assigned IP addresses, such as IPv4Address and IPv6Address for your active connection. PowerShell commands can often be piped and manipulated further to extract specific pieces of information.

Method 6Finding Your Public IP Address Using Command Prompt (curl)

To find your public IP address, the one the internet sees, you can use a command in Command Prompt. Open Command Prompt or Windows Terminal. Then, type the command `curl https://api.ipify.org` and press Enter. This will display your public IP address directly.

1. Open Command Prompt or Windows Terminal. As before, search for "Command Prompt" or "Windows Terminal" in the Start menu and open it.
2. Use the curl command. Type the following command and press Enter. This command asks an external website for your public IP address.
   

   💻Code

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   curl -4 ifconfig.me

   
   Note: If curl isn't recognized, you might need to enable it in Windows Features or use a different method. However, it's generally available in recent Windows 11 builds.
   
3. See your public IP. The command will then display your public IPv4 address directly in the terminal window.
   

   Warning: Your public IP address can change over time, especially if your ISP assigns them dynamically. Websites and services might also show you a different IP if you're using a VPN.

Method 7Finding Your Public IP Address Using PowerShell (Invoke-WebRequest)

You can also find your public IP address, the one visible to the internet, using PowerShell. Open Windows PowerShell. Type the command `Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://api.ipify.org" | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Content` and press Enter. This fetches and displays your public IP.

1. Open Windows PowerShell. Search for "Windows PowerShell" in the Start menu and open it.
2. Run the Invoke-WebRequest command. Type the following command and press Enter:
   

   ⬛PowerShell

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   Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://api.ipify.org" | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Content

   
   This command fetches the content from the https://api.ipify.org website, which is just your public IP address.
   
3. View your public IP. Your public IPv4 address will be displayed right there in the PowerShell window.

Method 8Finding Your Public IP Address Using Websites

The easiest way to find your public IP address, the one websites see, is by using an online tool. Simply open any web browser like Chrome or Edge and visit a website designed to show your IP. Popular choices include whatismyip.com or ipchicken.com.

1. Open your web browser. Any browser will do – Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc.
2. Visit an IP checker website. Go to a site like:
   

   💻Code

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   https://www.whatismyip.com/

   💻Code

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   https://www.ipchicken.com/

   💻Code

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   https://www.whatismyip.com.au/

   
   You can also search Google for "what is my IP address."
   
3. See your public IP. The website will automatically detect and display your public IPv4 address prominently on the page. Many sites will also show your approximate location and your ISP.
   

   Tip: These websites are also useful for checking your IPv6 address if you have one configured.

Summary

Finding your IP address in Windows 11 is simple using various methods. For your private IP address on your home network, use Settings, Control Panel, Task Manager, or commands like `ipconfig` in Command Prompt and `Get-NetIPConfiguration` in PowerShell. To find your public IP address seen by the internet, use `curl` or `Invoke-WebRequest` commands, or simply visit an IP checker website.