How to Find Your Local IP Address on Any Device

Your local IP address is the identifier your device uses inside your private network (home, office, hotspot). It’s not the same as your public IP, which websites see. Knowing your local IP helps with Wi‑Fi troubleshooting, printer setup, file sharing, gaming, port forwarding, and smart‑home devices. Below are quick GUI steps and reliable command‑line methods for every platform, followed by fixes for common issues, a real‑world case, and admin‑level tips.

Local vs Public IP (and why it matters)

Local (private) IPs live only inside your LAN and usually come from these ranges:

• 192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255
• 10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255
• 172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255

Public IPs are assigned by your ISP and are reachable over the internet. Check yours on What is My IP. Most homes use NAT: many local devices share one public IP via the router. In dual‑stack networks, you may have both IPv4 and IPv6 local addresses at the same time. Understanding your subnet mask (e.g., 255.255.255.0 or /24) and gateway (the router’s IP) helps diagnose reachability inside the LAN.

Quick paths by device (table)

Find your local IP on Windows

Method A — Settings (GUI)

1. Open Settings → Network & Internet.
2. Click Wi‑Fi (or Ethernet) → your network.
3. Scroll to Properties to see IPv4 address, IPv6 address, Default gateway.

Method B — Command Prompt

1. Press Win → type cmd → Enter.
2. Run:

   ipconfig

3. Under your active adapter (e.g., “Wi‑Fi”), read IPv4 Address and (if present) IPv6 Address.

Method C — PowerShell (more detailed)

# All addresses on all interfaces
Get-NetIPAddress | Sort-Object InterfaceAlias | Format-Table InterfaceAlias, AddressFamily, IPAddress, PrefixLength

# Only active IPv4 on Wi‑Fi
Get-NetIPAddress -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" -AddressFamily IPv4 | Select-Object IPAddress, PrefixLength

# Default route (gateway)
Get-NetRoute -DestinationPrefix "0.0.0.0/0" | Select-Object NextHop, InterfaceAlias

Connectivity check:

ping 192.168.1.1
tracert -4 myipscan.net
tracert -6 myipscan.net

Find your local IP on macOS

Method A — System Settings

1. Open System Settings → Network.
2. Select your active interface (Wi‑Fi/Ethernet).
3. See IP Address and, if enabled, IPv6 details and Router.

Method B — Terminal

One‑line IPv4 on Wi‑Fi:

ipconfig getifaddr en0

Full view (IPv4/IPv6 for all interfaces):

ifconfig | egrep "inet6? "

Preferred service order (optional):

networksetup -listnetworkserviceorder

Find your local IP on Linux

1. Open Terminal.
2. Show addresses:

   ip addr show

3. Quick list:

   hostname -I

4. Routes and gateway:

   ip route show

5. NetworkManager (if installed):

   nmcli device show | egrep "IP4.ADDRESS|IP6.ADDRESS|IP4.GATEWAY|IP6.GATEWAY"

Find your local IP on Android

1. Settings → Network & Internet → Wi‑Fi.
2. Tap your connected network.
3. See IP address (tap Advanced if needed). Some vendors show IPv6 on a separate line.

Find your local IP on iPhone / iPad (iOS)

1. Settings → Wi‑Fi → tap the ⓘ next to your network.
2. Under IPv4 Address, read IP Address. iOS can also display IPv6 when enabled by the router.

Use your router to list every device

1. Open a browser and go to your router’s address (commonly 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1).
2. Sign in with admin credentials.
3. Open Connected devices / DHCP clients to see all local IPs, hostnames, and sometimes MACs.
4. Optional: export the list (some routers allow CSV) for inventory or parental‑control rules.

IPv4 vs IPv6 inside your LAN (dual‑stack)

In a dual‑stack setup, devices get both an IPv4 and an IPv6 address. IPv6 addresses often start with fe80:: (link‑local) or a unique local address (ULA) like fd00::/8. Your OS may prefer IPv6 when available, which can improve reliability. LAN‑only protocols (AirPlay, Chromecast, SMB, NFS) work across both, but discovery can behave differently per vendor.

Check whether a hostname resolves to IPv6 (AAAA):

dig AAAA myipscan.net +short
nslookup -type=AAAA myipscan.net

Test IPv6 reachability:

ping6 myipscan.net
traceroute -6 myipscan.net   # (Linux/macOS)

Static vs dynamic local IPs (and DHCP reservations)

Tip: Keep static/reserved addresses outside the DHCP dynamic pool (e.g., DHCP = 192.168.1.100–199, static/reserved = 192.168.1.2–99).

Troubleshooting: “IPv6 not working”, “No IP”, or “APIPA 169.254.x.x”

Symptoms

• Windows shows 169.254.x.x (APIPA) instead of 192.168.x.x.
• Pages resolve over IPv4 but not IPv6; some sites feel slow until fallback.
• ipconfig/ip addr shows no address on the active interface.
• Router’s device list shows duplicates or stale clients.

Quick fixes

1. Renew DHCP lease:

   :: Windows
   ipconfig /release
   ipconfig /renew
   
   # macOS
   sudo ipconfig set en0 DHCP
   
   # Linux
   sudo dhclient -r
   sudo dhclient

2. Toggle the adapter: disable/enable Wi‑Fi or unplug/replug Ethernet.
3. Forget and rejoin Wi‑Fi (enter password again; ensure WPA2/3).
4. Restart the router; verify DHCP server is enabled and pool is not exhausted.
5. Check IPv6 is enabled on router and device. On Windows:

   Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → Change adapter settings → (Adapter) → Properties → Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)

6. DNS tests:

   nslookup myipscan.net
   nslookup -type=AAAA myipscan.net

7. Check for IP conflicts: if two devices share one IP, one will “flap”. Prefer DHCP reservations to avoid this.

Case example: fixing a smart‑TV that “disappears”

Problem: A smart‑TV streams fine for hours, then the phone’s remote app can’t find it. ipconfig on the laptop shows the TV’s IP has changed.

Fix: On the router, create a DHCP reservation for the TV’s MAC (e.g., always give it 192.168.1.50). Reboot TV and router. The TV now keeps a stable local IP, and the remote app discovers it reliably.

Why it works: Multicast/SSDP discovery tolerates changes poorly; a stable IP improves device discovery and app pairing.

Security & privacy tips for local networks

• Use strong Wi‑Fi passphrases (WPA2/WPA3). Update router firmware regularly.
• Disable WPS; isolate Guest Wi‑Fi or block LAN access.
• Review UPnP auto‑port‑forwarding; close unused ports.
• For external privacy, use a VPN to mask your public IP.
• If you self‑host email/services, keep public DNS (A/AAAA) accurate and set blacklist checks, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for deliverability.

Finding other devices by local IP (printers, NAS, cameras)

Many devices expose a web interface. Put the IP in your browser (e.g., http://192.168.1.50). If nothing responds, try a vendor discovery app or scan your LAN in the router. For SMB/NFS shares, map by hostname or static IP to avoid changes.

FAQ

Is my local IP the same as my public IP?

No. Local IPs work only inside your LAN; public IPs are visible on the internet. Check public IP on What is My IP.

What are common local IP ranges?

192.168.0.0/16, 10.0.0.0/8, and 172.16.0.0/12 are reserved for private use.

Why do I have both IPv4 and IPv6?

You’re on a dual‑stack network. Devices can use either protocol; many OSes prefer IPv6 when available.

How do I find my printer’s IP?

Check the printer’s status page, its control panel network screen, or your router’s “Connected devices”.

What if Windows shows 169.254.x.x?

That’s APIPA (self‑assigned). Renew the DHCP lease (ipconfig /renew), reconnect Wi‑Fi, or restart the router.

How can I run an IPv6 test quickly?

Use dig AAAA domain +short or nslookup -type=AAAA to confirm AAAA records, then try ping6 and traceroute -6.

Next steps: See your public IP now, verify DNS with DNS Lookup, or check browser exposure via WebRTC Leak Test. Need more help? Compare IPv4 vs IPv6 or learn when to use static vs dynamic IPs.