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IPv4 guide

How to Find Your IPv4 Address: Public vs Private

How to Find my IPv4

Public or private?

Find the right address before you copy it

An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label for a network interface. It helps the network identify your device’s interface within that routing scope. A device on a home or Wi-Fi network can have a private IPv4 address while the router or internet service provider (ISP) presents a public IP address to the internet.

  • To find your public IP, use a reputable IP lookup or inspect the router’s WAN status. Under carrier-grade NAT, the public address may be shared and can differ from the address shown on the router.
  • To find a private IP address for local troubleshooting, use ipconfig on Windows, Network > Details > TCP/IP on current macOS, or ip -4 address on Linux; interface names vary.
  • Many internet connections use IPv4 and IPv6 at the same time. Check the label before copying a result: an IPv6 address uses hexadecimal groups separated by colons.
  • A public IP can reveal the ISP and a general location, not an exact home address or physical location. VPNs and proxies can change the visible address, but they do not by themselves protect your identity in every context.

An IPv4 address is a 32-bit identifier assigned to a network interface within a routing scope. It is commonly written as four decimal numbers separated by periods, such as 192.168.1.1; the address can be private, public, shared, or special-purpose depending on its range and how it is used.

Table of Contents

Each decimal number can range from 0 to 255.IPv4 addresses are assigned to computers by routers or DHCP servers.People often ask: how to find my IPv4.

There are a few methods to find out the IPv4 address of your computer, depending on your operating systems. Here are some ways to find your IP address:

6 Ways to Find my IPv4

1. Using the Command Prompt on Windows 

  1. Click the Start button.
  2. On the search box, type” cmd”.
  3. Right-click on cmd and select Run as Administrator.
  4. Type “ipconfig” and press Enter.

You will see a line that says IPv4 Address.

2. Finding your IPv4 on Windows 10

  1. On the task bar, select Wi-Fi network.
  2. Hover over the Wi-Fi network that you are connected to.
  3. Click Properties.

3. Finding your IPv4  on Windows 11

  1. Open the Start menu and click Settings.
  2. From Settings, select Network & internet.
  3. From the Wi-Fi menu, select the Wi-Fi network that you are connected to.

Select Properties. From there, you’ll see IPv4 address.

4.  Finding your IPv4 on Linux

  1. Open a terminal.
  2. Type ip -4 address to list IPv4 addresses on the interfaces.
  3. Find the interface that is connected to the network; names vary, such as enp3s0 or wlan0.

On that interface, look for the inet entry. The value next to inet is your IPv4.

5.  Finding your IPv4 on Mac

a. Using the Terminal

  1. Open the Terminal app.
  2. Type the following command: ipconfig getifaddr en0.

This will show how to find our IP address on a Wi-Fi connection. If you connect to an Ethernet network, you need to use the en1 interface instead of en0.

b. Using System Settings

  1. Click on the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen.
  2. Select System Settings.
  3. Click on Network.
  4. Select the network connection you are using from the left sidebar.     5. Look for the IPv4 Address field. This is your IPv4 address.

6.  Using a website to find your IPv4 address

There are many websites that can help you find your IP address. One popular website is WhatIsMyIP.com: https://www.whatismyip.com/. Simply visit the website and it will show you your IPv4 address.

You can also enter “What is my IP” on the Google search bar. Google will display your IP address on the search results page. Learn more about Google’s IP address detection here.

Different types of IPv4

When you use a terminal, whether on Windows or Linux, you will find that there are different types of IPv4 addresses.

There are three types of IPv4 addresses:

  1. Unicast addresses are assigned to individual devices. Your phone and laptop have different unicast addresses.
  2. Broadcast addresses are used to send messages to all devices on a network. Your phone and laptop share the same broadcast address.
  3. Multicast addresses are used to send messages to a group of devices.

What is the purpose of IPv4?

IPv4 is used to route packets of data between devices on the Internet. When a device wants to send data to another device, it first needs to know the IPv4 address of the destination device.

The source device then encapsulates the packet with the destination device’s IPv4 address and sends it to its default gateway. The default gateway is a router that knows how to route packets to other networks.

The router then forwards the packet to the next router, and so on, until the packet reaches the destination device.

IPv4 is a simple and efficient protocol that has been used for many years. It is also widely supported by network devices and software.

IPv4 is one way a service can reach an endpoint; IPv6 is another. For an IPv4 connection, the destination normally sees the source address used by the path, which may be a router, VPN, proxy, or shared gateway rather than a single device. These are a few ways a service can see an IPv4 address:

When you visit a website: When you visit a website, your computer’s IPv4 address is sent to the website’s server. This allows the website to know where to send the data that you request.

When you connect to a service: When you connect to a service, such as an online game or a file-sharing service, your IPv4 address is also sent to the service’s server. This allows the service to know where to send your data and to identify you.

When you use a public Wi-Fi network: When you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, your IPv4 address is visible to the network administrator. This is because the network administrator needs to know your address in order to route your traffic.

Generally, there is no harm in having your IPv4 seen by other people. But if you are concerned, there are a few things that you can do to protect your privacy. You can use a VPN, a proxy server, or an open-source software like Tor.

Hopefully, when someone asks you “what is my IPv4,” you can use this article to find your answer.

How to read the IPv4 address you find

The address shown by an IP lookup is usually the public address that the lookup service sees for your connection. It may belong to a home router, an employer, a VPN server, a proxy, or a carrier-grade NAT gateway. It is not automatically the private address assigned to your computer, and it does not identify a person or exact physical location by itself.

What an IPv4 result can mean
Where you found itWhat it usually representsWhat to check next
A public IP lookupThe source address visible to that websiteWhether a VPN, proxy, router, or shared gateway is on the path
Your device settingsAn address on a local or virtual interfaceThe interface, subnet, default route, and whether it is private or public
A router WAN pageThe address assigned to the router's external connectionWhether the ISP uses carrier-grade NAT and whether inbound traffic is possible

IPv4 uses four decimal octets separated by periods. If the result contains hexadecimal groups separated by colons, it is IPv6 instead. A browser user agent, account login, cookie, or other application signal is separate from the IP address and can still identify a session when the address changes.

Why your public IPv4 address can change

  • Dynamic ISP assignment: the router can receive another address after reconnecting or when its lease is renewed.
  • VPN or proxy routing: a covered request can appear to come from an exit address while other applications use the ordinary connection.
  • Carrier-grade NAT: several customers can share one public address, so the lookup result may not be dedicated to your connection.
  • Dual-stack networking: one service can see IPv4 while another prefers IPv6. Test the protocol and destination that matter.

For local troubleshooting, record the address, interface, subnet prefix, default gateway, DNS path, and time. For an internet-facing service, also record the public result, the route used, and whether the address is expected to remain stable. A changed result is a networking fact to investigate, not proof that the device moved or that its identity changed.

Common questions about finding an IPv4 address

Is the IPv4 address shown by a lookup site my computer's address?

It is the address the lookup site sees for that request. It can be your router, a VPN or proxy exit, or a shared carrier gateway rather than the private address configured on the computer.

Can an IPv4 address reveal my exact location?

It can provide ISP or approximate geographic context from a database. It does not prove an exact home address, physical location, identity, or who was using the connection at that time.

Why do I see IPv4 and IPv6 results?

Many networks are dual-stack. The application, DNS result, destination, and route policy determine which address family is used. Check the label and test the path required by your service.

Related Article

  1. How to Get an IPv4 Address 
  2. How to Change Your IPv4 Address
  3. Understanding the Difference Between Ipv4 and IPv6

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