How to Find Your Local and External IP Address
Your device’s IP address is both important information and something you probably don’t think about. But sometimes you’ll need it for a network-related setup – if you’re trying to punch a hole in your network to access the contents of your NAS server, run a web server, or connect to your own VPN , just to name a few examples – so it’s important to understand how to find them when you do.
Also, you have two different IP addresses. It seems, as it were, something like.
What is the difference between your external and internal IP addresses?
On a typical home network where you connect to the Internet via a cable modem that’s connected to a cool Wi-Fi router, you have both an external IP address and an internal IP address .
Simply put, an external IP address allows devices on the Internet to find you. It’s like calling a company that someone works for when you’re trying to contact them. In this case, the external IP address will be the company’s phone number.
Your internal IP address is what your router sends to all devices connected to it. It handles all the “routing” (hence the name) of the data packets that go in and out of your network. Think of it as a secretary at the said company who has to handle all incoming phone calls. They hear what you say and direct you to the specific person you are trying to reach, and they also protect that person – to use a metaphor – by preventing random people from accessing their direct phone numbers.
Clear? Like, like, something like? Let’s continue.
How to find your external IP address
It’s easy. Please visit the constantly helpful WhatIsMyIP.com website. At the top right of the page, you will see your external IPv6 and IPv4 addresses. You will probably only care about the latter for now, but ( one day ) you will use the former for all the networking things you do.
If you want to make it even easier, there is also ipconfig.me . Click on it and you will only see your IPv4 address. That’s all. Nothing more. A simple IPv6 version of this site can be found at icanhazip.com with an awesome name. It couldn’t be easier.
How to find your internal IP address
Getting an internal IP address is a little more difficult than clicking a hyperlink, but it’s not that hard.
How to find your internal IP on Windows
Open a command prompt from the Windows Start menu. Type ” ipconfig ” and press Enter. Find the line that says “IPv4 Address”. The number next to this text is your local IP address.
You can also get fancy and use a utility like BgInfo or a larger application like Rainmeter to permanently display your IP address on your desktop. It’s probably overkill unless you’re an IT pro or network administrator, but it’s definitely an option.
How to find your internal IP address on Mac
First, click the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your desktop and open System Preferences. Then click Network. Find your connection type – Wi-Fi or Ethernet – and click on it. (If it is active, it should have a green dot on it.)
Look to the right and you will see a sentence that looks like “… connected to … and has an IP address …”. The number that follows it is the IP address of your laptop.
If that’s too much work, you can always use the cleverly named IP on the Menu Bar utility to do just that – put your IP address right in the macOS menu bar. Again, it couldn’t be easier.
How to find out your internal IP on Android
I have a Google Pixel 3 XL, so I’ll go through the instructions for finding the IP address on it. Your Android device will look similar, but the instructions may not be the same depending on what you are using.
Click on the Settings app and click on Network & Internet. Click on Wi-Fi which I assume you are using since who connects their smartphone to Ethernet? Click the gear icon to the right of the wireless network you’re connected to, and then click More at the bottom of the next screen. Scroll down a bit and you will see your device’s IPv4 address.
How to find out your internal IP on iOS
Tap in the Settings app and then tap Wi-Fi. Click on the circle letter “i” to the right of the network you’re connected to and you’ll see your IPv4 address right here – and your IPv6 address right below it.
How to find your internal IP address on all your other devices
When in doubt, your device’s IP address is probably listed somewhere in its network configuration options from its settings menu – are we talking about your Smart TV, your network storage box, your game console, or what you have a. If you are having trouble finding your IP address this way, you can always use the reverse approach and work through a router. Somewhere in the settings of your router there will be a list of all the devices that are connected to it. Assuming you can find your device’s name or know its MAC address, you should be able to find its internal IP address.
This story was originally published in 2011 by Adam Dachis. It was updated by David Murphy in May 2019 with new information and techniques, as well as October 21, 2020, June 10, 2021, and October 29, 2021 to update outdated links and bring content in line with the current Lifehacker style.