Using ipconfig

The Windows command ipconfig helps you find your MAC (hardware) address, DHCP server, DNS server and other useful information. To use it, follow the following instructions.

1. Go to the start menu and select Run.... Then type cmd in the box and click OK;
   

   

2. At the C:\> prompt type ipconfig. Then press Enter. Your IP address, subnet mask and default gateway will be returned to you. If your IP address is 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, or 172.16.x.x, then you are receiving an internal IP address from a router or some other DHCP server. The IP address that the world sees is that of the router - which is usually different than the one that you see here! If you are receiving a 169.254.x.x address, this is a Windows address that generally means your network connection is not working properly.

   

3. If you want more detailed information about your network connection, type ipconfig /all at the prompt. Here you can get the same information as ipconfig with the addition of your MAC (hardware) address, DNS and DHCP server addresses, IP lease information, etc. If your IP address is 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, or 172.16.x.x, then you are receiving an internal IP address from a router or some other DHCP server. The IP address that the world sees is that of the router - which is usually different than the one that you see here! If you are receiving a 169.254.x.x address, this is a Windows address that generally means your network connection is not working properly.

   

4. If you are having trouble with your connection, it may be fixed by releasing and renewing your IP address. Type ipconfig /release at the prompt and press enter. Then type ipconfig /renew and press enter again. If your connection is okay, a valid IP address, subnet mask and default gateway will be returned to you after a few seconds.