How to Find Your IP Address on Windows

Choose the network whose address you need. If Wi-Fi, Ethernet and a VPN are available, confirm which one is active for the task. The how to find IP address on Windows question often becomes confusing because a machine can have several adapters and more than one valid address at once.

Open Start, Settings and Network & internet. For Wi-Fi, select Wi-Fi and then the network you are connected to. For a wired connection, select Ethernet. In the connection properties, find IPv4 address. Read the label carefully so you do not copy a DNS server or gateway value instead.

If you prefer a text view, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig. Locate the active adapter and its IPv4 Address field. Keep the adapter name beside the value when recording it. There is no need to renew the lease, disable an adapter or change IP assignment merely to view the existing information.

Decide whether the person or application asking for an address needs the local or public value. A local file-sharing task on the same network may need the adapter address. A support task concerning an external service may need the public exit address. Explain which one you are providing rather than sending an unlabeled number.

Windows exposes connection properties for individual adapters. A local IPv4 address identifies an interface within its network context; the address visible to an external service can instead belong to a router, shared provider exit, VPN or proxy. This is why instructions for how to find IP address on Windows should name the location and address type. The operating-system steps in this guide are distinct from a web lookup. A normal page cannot reliably enumerate all Windows adapter settings and should not pretend that an external API result came from the local settings panel.

A disconnected adapter can still appear in a command output or settings list. Do not use its presence as proof that traffic is using it. Confirm the active connection and preserve the adapter name with any copied address.

Avoid changing an automatically assigned address unless you understand the network’s configuration and have permission. Viewing settings is sufficient for this tutorial. An incorrect manual address can interrupt connectivity or conflict with another device.

This guide supports a cross-device workflow: a person may use a Windows computer alongside a Mac. Kepo’s desktop-widget product is presented as a Mac tool, not as a claim that the same desktop application or automatic Windows adapter access exists here.

A Command Prompt output can contain several adapter sections. If Ethernet is disconnected while Wi-Fi is carrying your traffic, an address from the wrong section is not the right answer for the active Wi-Fi task. Compare the adapter name and connection status before copying the IPv4 field. The same habit is useful when a VPN introduces a virtual adapter. Keep the context in a short note such as device, adapter and observation time; do not publish the entire command output when another person only needs one relevant value.

Keep the question, input, observation time and source together. A bare address, percentage or status code is difficult to interpret later because it omits the connection and measurement context. When comparing two observations, note what changed between them: the target, network, VPN state, selected adapter, record type or remote origin. Change one relevant condition at a time when possible. That makes the comparison easier to explain without inventing a cause from one number.

Save only information you actually need. Network records can reveal infrastructure names and connection details, even when they do not contain a password. Remove unrelated identifiers before sharing a screenshot with another person. Never put private credentials in a domain field or publish an internal hostname as part of a public test. A copied result is a snapshot, not a promise that the same conditions still apply when someone reads it later.

Kepo is a Mac desktop-widget product for repeated checks and small workflows. A labeled troubleshooting note or a supported monitoring widget can keep the relevant context accessible while you work. The download link opens the product workflow; this article does not automatically install a configured diagnostic widget, transfer your network inputs or start a scheduled check. Confirm the actual widget’s capabilities before relying on it for ongoing observations.