Network tools Guides
Updated 7 October 2026
A "what is my IP" tool shows the address the internet sees, not the one your computer uses on your home network. Here is how to find your local IP address and your router's address on any device, in under a minute.
Three IP addresses are involved on a home network, and they are easy to mix up:
| Address | Who has it | Example | Where to see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public IP | Your router, on the internet side | 81.2.xx.xx | Our "My IP" tool, or the router's admin page |
| Local (private) IP | Every device in the home | 192.168.1.23 | The device's network settings |
| Router IP (default gateway) | Your router, on the home side | 192.168.1.1 | "Default gateway" in the network settings |
Your internet provider gives one public address to your router. Laptops, phones, the TV and the game console each get a local address, and the router translates between the two: this is called NAT. Seen from the internet, the whole household shares the same address. That is why our "My IP" tool shows your public IP: a website simply cannot see your local address.
cmd) and run ipconfig. Find the adapter you are using, then the IPv4 Address line.ipconfig getifaddr en0. If nothing comes back, try en1: depending on the Mac, Wi-Fi and Ethernet use different interface names.In a terminal, hostname -I prints the machine's addresses straight away. For details per interface, use ip addr: the address follows the word inet on the active interface (often wlan0, wlp2s0 or eth0).
Settings > Wi-Fi (or Network & internet > Internet), then tap the connected network or the gear icon next to it: the IP address is listed in the details, sometimes under Advanced. Menus differ between brands (Samsung, Pixel, Motorola and others) and Android versions, but the information always sits in the Wi-Fi network details.
Settings > Wi-Fi, then tap the (i) icon next to the connected network: the IP Address line is your local IP, and the Router line is your router's address.
The router's address is the default gateway: every device sends anything that leaves the home network to it.
ipconfig output, the Default Gateway line.route get default in Terminal (the gateway line).ip route, the address after default via.Type that address into your browser's address bar to open the admin page. The most common default router addresses are:
192.168.1.1192.168.0.110.0.0.1192.168.1.254Providers and manufacturers each pick their own default, so the reliable answer is the gateway shown on your device. The address, and often the default admin login, is also printed on the label underneath or on the back of the router.
Local addresses come from three ranges reserved by RFC 1918, which are never routed on the internet:
10.0.0.0/8: 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255172.16.0.0/12: 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255192.168.0.0/16: 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255An address starting with 169.254 is a warning sign: the device did not get an address from the router and assigned one to itself. It can reach neither the router nor the internet. Check the cable or the Wi-Fi password, restart the router, then reconnect the device.
With IPv6 you will also see an address beginning with fe80::. This is a link-local address that every network adapter has, usable only on the local network. It is normal and does not replace your local IPv4 address.
The router hands out local addresses through DHCP, as a lease with a limited lifetime. After a restart or a long time offline, a device may come back with a different address. That does not matter for a phone, but it is a problem for a printer, a NAS or a port forwarding rule.
The right fix is a DHCP reservation (sometimes called a "static lease" or "address reservation") in the router's admin page: you link the device's MAC address to an IP of your choice, and the router gives it that address every time. This is more reliable than typing a static IP manually on the device, which can clash with an address the router has already handed out.
The admin page controls everything: Wi-Fi, open ports, DNS. A few rules:
It is your default gateway. Run ipconfig on Windows and read the "Default Gateway" line, or check the "Router" line in the Wi-Fi details on an iPhone or Mac. It is often 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1, and it is usually printed on the router's label.
No. Websites only see your router's public address. Addresses starting with 192.168, 10 or 172.16 to 172.31 are not routed on the internet, and millions of homes use the same ones.
The device did not get an address from the router through DHCP and gave itself one. It has no internet access as a result. Check the Wi-Fi connection or cable and restart the router.
The public IP is unique on the internet and assigned to your router by your provider. A private IP identifies a device inside your home. The router translates between them using NAT.