Device instructions · Reviewed 7 October 2026

Find Your IP Address and Default Gateway on Windows

A Windows PC can have several addresses at once: one on Wi-Fi, one on Ethernet, addresses on a VPN adapter and possibly both IPv4 and IPv6. Start with the connection you actually want to troubleshoot.

Find the connected adapter in Settings

Open Settings → Network & internet.
For Wi-Fi, open Wi-Fi and select the connected network. For a cable connection, open Ethernet.
Look for the IPv4 address in the connection properties. Note the adapter and network name so you do not accidentally use an address from another connection.
To see the default gateway and additional adapter details, use the read-only command below.

Read-only commands

ipconfig

Open Command Prompt or Windows Terminal and run this command. Find the active adapter's IPv4 Address, any IPv6 Address, and Default Gateway. An adapter marked disconnected is not the current route.

Read the local address and router separately

A Windows IPv4 address of 192.168.1.42 and default gateway of 192.168.1.1 usually describe the PC and router on a home LAN. These are illustrative values; use the output on your own PC.

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

An address beginning 169.254 can be link-local after the adapter failed to obtain normal IPv4 configuration. Check the intended connection and DHCP service rather than assuming that address is your public IP.

VPN and virtual adapters can add several sets of addresses. Look at the route you are troubleshooting. A default gateway is the next hop for relevant traffic, not a reliable readout of your router's public WAN address.

You do not need to release, renew or manually change the adapter to read its address. Those operations can interrupt a working connection and are separate troubleshooting decisions.

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.

Microsoft's Windows network-settings guide. Menu names and available fields can vary by software version and device. Read values before deciding whether a configuration change is needed.