How-To · 6 min read

How to Find Your IP Address on Windows 11

Windows 11 gives you several ways to find your IP address — from clicking through Settings to running a one-line command. Here are five methods, from easiest to most powerful. Most also work on Windows 10.

Updated May 17, 2026 · Windows 11 & Windows 10

Quick answer

For your public IP: visit scanmyipaddress.com. For your private IP: press Windows + R, type cmd, press Enter, type ipconfig, press Enter. Your IPv4 Address is your private IP.

Method 1: Find your public IP (easiest)

Your public IP is what websites and services see. Windows Settings only shows your private IP. To see your public IP:

  1. Open any web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox).
  2. Go to scanmyipaddress.com.
  3. Your public IP appears in large text at the top of the page, along with location, ISP, browser, and OS info.

Method 2: Windows Settings (most user-friendly)

For your private IP via Settings:

  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
  2. Click Network & internet in the left sidebar.
  3. Click Wi-Fi if you're on wireless, or Ethernet if wired.
  4. Click your connected network name.
  5. Scroll down to the Properties section — your IPv4 address is listed.

You'll also see other details on this screen: IPv6 address, DNS server, manufacturer (router brand), and your physical (MAC) address.

Method 3: Command Prompt with ipconfig (fastest for power users)

The ipconfig command is the fastest way to see your network configuration:

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

You'll see output like this:

Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::a3b1:f3e2:9018:c5f1%19
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.42
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

The line that says "IPv4 Address" shows your private IP. The "Default Gateway" is your router's IP.

Pro tip: Want more detail? Run ipconfig /all for a complete report including DNS servers, DHCP server, lease times, and MAC addresses for every network adapter.

Method 4: PowerShell (modern alternative)

PowerShell is Windows' newer scripting environment. For a clean IP-only output:

  1. Right-click the Start button.
  2. Click Terminal or PowerShell.
  3. Type this command and press Enter:
Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 | Where-Object {$_.IPAddress -notlike "169.*" -and $_.IPAddress -ne "127.0.0.1"} | Select IPAddress, InterfaceAlias

This filters out the loopback address and link-local fallback addresses, showing only your real IPs and which network interface each one belongs to.

For a simpler version that just shows everything:

Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4

Method 5: Network & Sharing Center (legacy method)

This is the older Windows interface that still works in Windows 11:

  1. Press Windows + R, type ncpa.cpl, press Enter.
  2. Right-click your connected network adapter (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
  3. Click Status.
  4. Click Details….
  5. Your IPv4 Address is in the list.

Advanced: see all adapters, IPv6, and MAC addresses

List all network adapters

If you have multiple network connections (Wi-Fi + Ethernet + VPN), use:

ipconfig /all

This shows every adapter, including any virtual ones from VPN clients or Hyper-V.

See only your IPv6 address

Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv6

Find your MAC address

Your MAC (Media Access Control) address is a hardware identifier. Find it with:

getmac /v

Or look for "Physical Address" in the output of ipconfig /all.

Release and renew your IP

To force a new private IP from your router:

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

The first command tells the router you're giving up your current IP; the second requests a new one. Useful for troubleshooting connectivity issues.

Flush DNS cache

If a website seems stuck on an old address:

ipconfig /flushdns

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my IP address in Windows 11?

Press Windows + I to open Settings, click Network & internet, click Wi-Fi or Ethernet (whichever you're using), then click your connected network. Your IP address is shown in the Properties section. Or open Command Prompt and type ipconfig for a faster method.

What does "ipconfig" do?

Ipconfig is a Windows command-line tool that displays your network configuration, including your IPv4 address, subnet mask, default gateway (router IP), and IPv6 address. Run it by opening Command Prompt and typing ipconfig then pressing Enter.

How do I find my public IP on Windows?

Open any web browser and visit scanmyipaddress.com. Your public IP, location, ISP, and connection details are displayed instantly. Windows Settings only shows your private/local IP, not the public one.

Why is my IP address starting with 169.254?

That's an APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing) address. Windows assigns it when DHCP fails — meaning your computer connected to the network but couldn't get a real IP. Try running ipconfig /release then ipconfig /renew, or restart your router.

How do I change my IP address on Windows 11?

For your private IP: run ipconfig /release then ipconfig /renew in Command Prompt. For your public IP, use a VPN, switch networks, or restart your router and wait for your ISP to assign a new IP.

What is the default gateway?

The default gateway is your router's IP address. Your computer sends all internet-bound traffic to this address. On most home networks it's 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. You can type the gateway IP into a browser to access your router's admin panel.

Should I see multiple IP addresses in ipconfig?

Yes, often. Windows lists every network adapter separately, including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, VPN clients, and virtual machine adapters. The relevant one is usually your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).

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