Device instructions · Reviewed 7 October 2026

Find Your IP Address and Default Route on Linux

On Linux, the ip utility can show interface addresses and routing information without changing the network. Desktop network panels vary by distribution, so the commands below give a common read-only starting point on systems with iproute2 installed.

Inspect addresses and default routes

Open a terminal on the machine whose connection you want to inspect.
List addresses with ip -brief address. Find the relevant interface rather than a loopback, container bridge or disconnected device.
Read the IPv4 default route with ip route show default. Use ip -6 route show default for IPv6.
Match the route's dev interface with the address listing. On complex networks, policy routing or VPN rules may mean there is more than one relevant path.

Read-only commands

ip -brief address

Shows interfaces and their addresses in a compact form. Values often include a slash prefix; remove that suffix when a tool asks for a single address.

ip route show default

Shows IPv4 default routes. The via field, when present, identifies a next-hop gateway; dev names the interface. Some link types have no via field.

ip -6 route show default

Shows IPv6 default routes. An IPv6 next hop can be link-local and only meaningful on the stated interface.

Read the local address and router separately

An interface address of 192.168.1.42/24 and a route beginning default via 192.168.1.1 dev wlan0 describe a local address, prefix and next-hop router. The example does not establish the public exit IP.

Your device's address is used on a selected interface. The default gateway or Router field identifies a next hop. To find the router's WAN address, open its own Internet/status page using the manufacturer's instructions. This website cannot read your router settings automatically.

Find the public address websites see

Open the public IP checker on the same device and connection. The result is the address used for that web request. With IPv4, several devices may share an exit address; with IPv6, a device can have its own global address. Compare the same version and record results at the same time.

Common reasons the values differ

127.0.0.1 and ::1 are loopback. IPv6 fe80 addresses are link-local, while unique-local addresses begin within fc00::/7. A syntactically valid address is not necessarily an ordinary public one.

Several addresses on one interface can be normal, especially with IPv6. Temporary addresses may rotate. Use the actual web request's public result when comparing exit routes rather than selecting the first address in a command listing.

These commands read configuration. They do not assign addresses, renew DHCP, scan hosts or require disabling a firewall. If ip is missing, use your distribution's documented network panel or installation instructions.

Choose the next check

Classify an address to distinguish private, public and special-use space.
Calculate an IPv4 subnet or inspect an IPv6 prefix when you have a mask or prefix.
Compare router WAN and public IP when you are investigating upstream NAT.
Compare before and after IP results for a deliberate connection change.

Linux ip-address manual. Menu names and available fields can vary by software version and device. Read values before deciding whether a configuration change is needed.