Whether you’re trying to connect to your router to change settings, or you’re just testing your network setup, it’s a quick job to find your router’s IP address from most devices that are connected to it. Your router’s IP address has a downstream effect on the devices that connect to it with these devices typically getting an IP address that’s mostly identical to the router’s. That being said, if you’ve got multiple switches or you’ve got routers plugged into routers, like plugging a mesh system into an ISP-provided router, it may not be so straightforward.
There are many ways to find your router’s IP address, but these options will allow you to do so without installing any new apps. If you’ve already got access to your router using an app, you may also be able to see the router's IP address in that app.
How to change a router’s name to impress your neighbors
Custom router names are way cooler than generic SSIDs, but you need to customize them if you want to show them off.
Find your router IP address on Windows
On Windows, the easiest way to find your IP address is in the network settings for your PC. There will be quite a few IP addresses that look quite similar, but most of the time, your router’s IP address will end in 1. For example, a lot of routers will get the IP address 192.168.0.1 or 10.0.0.1.
- In Windows 11,open the Settings app.
- Click Network & Internet.
- Click Advanced Network Settings towards the bottom of the page.
- Click Hardware and connection properties
- Find the name of your current connection (likely Wi-Fi), andlook for your IPv4 or IPv6 default gateway address.
If you’re comfortable using Command Prompt, you can save some time using the ipconfig command. You can get a lot of useful information about your computer with ahandful of command line prompts in Windows.
- Open Command Prompt. There are a few ways to open Command Prompt such as searching for it in the Windows Start Menu. Another way is using the button combinationWindows + R, then typingcmd and press enter.
- Type “ipconfig” and press enter.
- Scroll to see thedefault gateway IP address.
Find your router IP address on Mac
On Mac, you can similarly find your router IP address in your network settings.
- Open System Settings.
- Click Wi-Fi to see your current networks. Use the Network option instead for a wired connection.
- Click on the button that says Details to the right of your Wi-Fi network.
- On the window that opens,find the router IP address after the word Router.
You can also hold down the option button and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen. You will then see expanded network information, including the router IP address.
Find your router IP address on Android
Similarly, you can this same information from an Android or iPhone connected to the network. Once you’re connected to your network, you’ll be able to see some connection information such as your phone’s IP address, the IP address of the router, and the speed of your connection.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Network & Internet. This step can vary a bit depending on your phone’s specific floor of Android, so just look for the page that shows your Wi-Fi connections and proceed to step 4 if these interactions don’t exactly match your phone.
- Tap Internet. You should now see a list of your connected and saved Wi-Fi connections.
- Tap the gear icon next to the Wi-Fi network you’re using.
- Scroll down to find Gateway and the address next to it. Some phones, like those from Samsung, show this information differently. You cantap manage router on Samsung phones to see which IP address it’s connecting to.
Find your router IP address on iPhone
On iPhone, you can also find your router IP address from your Wi-Fi connections page.
- Open settings.
- Tap Wi-Fi.
- Tap the “i” to the right of your connected network.
- Scroll down to find the Router IP address.
Why would someone want their IP address?
While most routers and connected devices are smart enough to handle most IP address work behind the scenes, there are still some reasons you might want to find your IP addresses. For one thing, if you’ve got one of thebest Wi-Fi routers and you’re looking to customize its settings, typing the IP address into the URL bar in a web browser can be the quickest way to access these settings. If you’re manually configuring the IP address of a new device, knowing the router’s IP address can help you choose a compatible address.
If you want to change your router’s IP address, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to do so bylogging in to your router and changing the settings. Keep in mind that your router’s IP address is the basis for your connected device’s IP addresses, so you may need to reconnect them if you change your router’s IP.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that your router’s IP address is not the same thing as your internet connection’s IP. If you search Google for “What’s my IP”, for example, you’ll get a very different result. This is your internet IP connection and is used when you connect over the internet while local connections on your home network don’t need to go over the internet.
How to configure a router: Your guide to the most important settings
Looking to set up a new router? These are the most important settings to make the most of it.
