How to Find Your IP Address
“IP” is short for Internet Protocol, and an “IP address” is a unique sequence of numbers assigned to every computer connected to a network, whether it’s the Internet, a corporate intranet or a home network. An IP address consists of four numbers between 0 and 255, each separated by a dot – for example, 98.124.247.46 is an IP address. Knowing a user’s IP address can be useful in a number of ways from tracking email spammers to catching online criminals and troubleshooting network connectivity problems. If you don't already know your IP address, you can quickly find out what it is.
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Instructions
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Open your Web browser.
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Type the URL of any website that offers a free IP address lookup tool into the address bar in your browser. Dozens of websites offer this service to Internet users at no cost, such as Whatismyipaddress.com, Whatismyip.org and Ipaddress.com.
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Look at the Web page that displays in your browser. Your IP address will be prominently displayed on the page.
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Find your IP address by directly querying the Windows operating system if using a Web browser isn’t convenient. Right-click on the “Network Connection” icon on your toolbar in the lower right corner of your desktop, and then click on “Open Network and Sharing Center.” Click on your connection, which may be listed as “Local Area Connection.” Click the “Details” button. Your IP address will be listed together with other data in the window that appears.
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Tips & Warnings
Your IP address follows you everywhere you go online. It is logged every time you visit a website, leave a comment or post an article on a forum, upload pictures and log in to Facebook or Myspace. A user with the requisite knowledge can track down your physical location from your IP address, and this is commonly done by law enforcement.
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