How to Find Your IP Address on Windows

On Windows there are two different IP addresses you might be asked for: the local IP your PC has inside your home or office network, and the public IP the rest of the internet sees. They are found in different places, and mixing them up is the most common reason an answer "does not work". This guide shows how to find each one on Windows 10 and Windows 11 — through Settings, Command Prompt and PowerShell — and how to fix the usual problems, such as an address starting with 169.254 or an IP that keeps changing.

Local IP vs public IP: which one do you need?

If you want the background, Private vs Public IP explains why one network can show both.

Find your public IP

Open the Show-IP.ir homepage in any browser. Your public IP, country, city, ISP and connection security status appear immediately — nothing to install. Show-IP.ir always shows the address of the connection you are using right now, which is exactly what you want when you are checking your own connection or a VPN.

From a terminal, the same site returns just the address as plain text:

curl.exe show-ip.ir                  # Command Prompt or PowerShell
Invoke-RestMethod show-ip.ir/ip      # PowerShell

Use curl.exe (with the extension) in PowerShell, because plain curl there is an alias for a different command.

Find your local IP in Settings

Windows 11

1. Open Settings → Network & internet.
2. Choose Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on how you are connected.
3. Open the Properties of the connected network (for Wi-Fi: <network name> properties).
4. Scroll to the bottom: the line IPv4 address is your local IP.

Windows 10

1. Open Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi (or Ethernet).
2. Click the name of the connected network.
3. In the Properties section, read IPv4 address.

Another quick spot: open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) → Performance → Wi-Fi or Ethernet; the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses are listed under the graph.

Find your local IP from the command line

Press Win + R, type cmd and press Enter, then run one of these:

ipconfig                  # short summary of every adapter
ipconfig /all             # full detail: MAC address, DHCP server, lease times, DNS
Get-NetIPConfiguration    # PowerShell: IP, gateway and DNS per adapter
Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4    # PowerShell: every IPv4 address on the PC

The first two work in Command Prompt; the last two need PowerShell. Here is how to read the output of ipconfig:

Look at the right adapter: Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter Ethernet is the real connection. Entries such as vEthernet, VirtualBox or a VPN adapter are virtual and show different addresses.

Troubleshooting

The IP starts with 169.254

An address like 169.254.23.7 means Windows asked for an address and nobody answered, so it gave itself a "link-local" one that works only on the cable or Wi-Fi segment and has no internet. Try, in order: restart the router and the PC, reconnect the cable or Wi-Fi, then run ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew. If it persists, the router's DHCP server may be off or full; check it as described in the router guide.

The IP keeps changing

Local addresses come from a DHCP "lease" and may change after a restart. Two things make it happen more often: Windows' Random hardware addresses Wi-Fi option (a new MAC address looks like a new device — see IP vs MAC address) and a short lease time. To keep one address, create a DHCP reservation for the PC in the router. If instead your public IP changes, that is normal for most providers — read static vs dynamic IP.

There is no IPv4 address at all

You may be on the wrong adapter, the adapter may be disabled, or the line may say "Media disconnected". Turn the adapter off and on, or run ipconfig /renew. Connectivity problems after you have an address are best diagnosed with the ping and traceroute guide.

Frequently asked

Why is my local IP different from the IP shown on Show-IP.ir?

They are different layers. Your local IP only exists inside your network, while the address on Show-IP.ir is your public IP that your router shares with every device at home. This is completely normal.

Can I find my IP without an internet connection?

Your local IP, yes — ipconfig works offline. Your public IP needs a working connection because it is determined from the outside.

Does a VPN change my local IP?

No. A VPN changes the public IP seen by websites and adds a virtual adapter with its own address; your Wi-Fi adapter keeps its local IP. See how a VPN changes your IP.

Key takeaways

• Public IP: open Show-IP.ir (or run curl.exe show-ip.ir). Local IP: Settings → Network & internet, or ipconfig.
• The two are always different, and that is normal; the router translates between them.
• Default Gateway in ipconfig is your router's address.
• An address starting with 169.254 means DHCP failed: restart the router, then ipconfig /release and /renew.
• For a stable local address use a DHCP reservation; for a stable public one see getting a static IP.