Your IP address is a bit like your home address. Without it, the mailman would not know where to deliver your parcels. The internet will not know where to send information if it doesn’t have an IP address. If you need to change your WiFi username, password, security preferences, or make other changes, it is important to know the IP address of your computer and router. How to find the IP address of your computer and router on a Mac.
You can read our previous article to learn more about what an IP address does.
How to find your computer’s IP address and router’s IP address on a Mac
Go to System Preferences> Network, and choose your connection from the left sidebar. Click Advanced> TCP/IP to see your computer’s address next to IPv4 Address, and your router’s address next to Router.
- Click on the Apple icon at the top-left corner.
- Then select System Preferences.
- Next, click network.
Notification: Click on the WiFi button at the top-right corner to access your network preferences. Then select Network Preferences. - Next, choose your network. You can, for example, select Wi-Fi Or Ethernet It all depends on how connected your computer is to the internet.
You can also find your IP address in the upper right corner if you’re just searching for it. It is important to remember that this is your private IP address and not your public IP. - Click Advanced.
- Next, click on the TCP/IP tab. It is located at the top of your window.
- You will now see your computer’s IP address next to IPv4 address, and your router’s IP address next to Router.
Public and private IP addresses
There are two types of IP addresses: private and public. Public IP addresses identify your network or computer via the internet. However, your router will assign private IP addresses to all connected devices. These IP addresses are only used by your network.
It’s like having a building address and a private IP address. Your public IP address is your apartment number. You can have the exact same private IP address as another person (e.g. 192.168.0.1, 10.0.0.1), but not the same public IP address.
To find your public IP address, you can go to whatismyipaddress.com or search Google for “what is my IP address.”
You now know how to find the IP address of your Mac’s computer and router on a Mac. Read our article to learn how to change your password and WiFi name on a Mac.
