How to Find a Computer's IP Address in Windows 7

Find the IP Address in Windows 7

Although we've covered some very simple solutions to discovering the IP address used by your computer's wireless or ethernet card, the process relies on an Internet connection to visit a website that will retrieve this information from the computer.

However, if you find yourself without an Internet connection and need to determine what the IP address used by your computer is, then you may need to rely on other methods to determine a device's IP address on your computer.

In the following guide I will show you how to determine your computer's IP address using the Network & Sharing Center in Windows 7 and the good ol' command prompt. Both methods will get you the answer to the, "What's my IP address question?"

Method One - Use the Network & Sharing Center to Discover the IP Address

1. Click the small Networking icon located in the Notification Area on the lower right corner of the screen (right side of the taskbar).

2. When the popover appears click the Open Network and Sharing Center link.

The Network and Sharing Center window will open. This is the place in the Windows 7 Control Panel where you will find all of the options necessary to customize and configure your wireless and wired connections in Windows 7.

3. Click the Local Area Connection for the connection currently being used.

Note: If you have an ethernet adapter and a wireless network adapter make sure to select the connection you are currently using to connect to the network otherwise the IP address you obtain may be useless.

4. When the Local Area Connection Status window opens, click the Details button to pull the information from the connection you selected.

Note: Don't let the plethora of numbers and addresses confuse you. The value you are interested to determine the computer's IP address is the IPv4 Address.

5. The IP address used the network device you selected will be listed next to the IPv4 Address – the number should start with something like a 192... if you are using a residential router with standard settings.

Note: If the number does not start with 192... but is listed next to IPv4 then chances are that your router was configured with a different IP address which should not be a problem, just make sure to use the number next to IPv4 Address.

6. Jot down the number and click Close when you are done.

You have successfully obtained your computer's IP address. If you wish to use a faster yet more outdated method, check out the following steps to use the command prompt in Windows 7.

Method Two - Use Good Ol' Command Prompt to Find Your Computer's IP Address

Most users will find the command prompt archaic and daunting, but don't let the black screen with white letters scare you.

The command prompt is a great tool to do things quickly on your Windows machine as well as retrieve information like the IP address in a fast manner.

1. Click the Windows Orb to open the Start Menu and type cmd into the Start Menu search box.

2. Click cmd from the search results which should appear directly under Programs

3. When the Command Prompt window opens, type ipconfig /all into the command prompt window.

4. The network adapter's IP address will be listed next to the IPv4 Address – the number should start with something like a 192... if you are using a residential router with standard settings.

Note: If you are using more than one network adapter on your computer make sure to jot down the correct IP address for the network device/connection you are actually using.