What Is My Local IP Address
Your local IP address is the private address your router assigned to your device on your home network. Different from your public IP - it only exists inside your network. The tool below detects it automatically.
Detecting your local IP address via WebRTC…
Local IP vs Public IP
These two types of IP address serve completely different purposes and it is important not to confuse them.
Assigned by your router to each device on your home network. Examples: 192.168.1.42, 192.168.0.15, 10.0.0.5. Only reachable from inside your network. Changes if you reconnect or restart your router.
The address the entire internet sees for your home. Assigned by your ISP. All devices in your home share the same public IP. Visible to any website you visit. May change periodically.
Your router's address on the local network. Usually the same as your local IP but ending in .1 - e.g. if your device is 192.168.1.42, your gateway is typically 192.168.1.1. Type it in a browser to access router settings.
192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 is a private IP range defined in RFC 1918. These addresses cannot be routed on the public internet and are reserved exclusively for local network use in homes and offices.
How to Find Your Local IP Manually
If the automatic detection above is blocked (some browsers disable WebRTC for privacy), here are the reliable manual methods for every platform:
Windows
Press Win + R, type cmd, press Enter. Run ipconfig. Look for IPv4 Address under your active adapter.
Open Terminal and run ifconfig | grep inet or ip addr show. Your local IP starts with 192.168 or 10.
On iPhone: Settings → Wi-Fi → tap your network name → view IP Address field. On Android: Settings → Wi-Fi → tap the network → Advanced.
macOS
Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS).
Click Network, then select your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
Click Details (or Advanced), then TCP/IP. Your IP address and router address are shown here.
Or open Terminal and run: ipconfig getifaddr en0 (for Wi-Fi) or ipconfig getifaddr en1 (for Ethernet).
Linux
Open Terminal.
Run ip addr show and look for the inet line under your active interface (eth0, wlan0, enp3s0, etc.).
Or run hostname -I for a quick summary.
iPhone and iPad
Open Settings, tap Wi-Fi.
Tap the blue ⓘ icon next to your connected network.
Scroll down to see IP Address (your local IP) and Router (gateway IP).
Android
Open Settings, go to Network & Internet → Wi-Fi.
Tap the gear icon next to your connected network.
Tap Advanced or expand network details. Find IP address.
What Can You Do With Your Local IP
- Access router admin panel - Your gateway IP (ending in .1) opens the router settings page when typed in a browser
- Connect to a local NAS or server - Access files on a home server or Synology/QNAP NAS using its local IP
- Remote Desktop over LAN - Connect to another computer on your network using its local IP
- Assign a static IP - Reserve a specific IP for a device via your router's DHCP reservation feature
- Port forwarding - Router port forwarding rules target a specific local IP to route incoming connections
- Network troubleshooting - Verify your device received a valid IP from the router DHCP server
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my local IP address change?
By default, yes - local IP addresses are dynamically assigned by your router via DHCP. Your device is given an IP from a pool of available addresses, and it may receive a different one after restarting or reconnecting. If you need a device to always have the same local IP (for port forwarding or server access), set up a DHCP reservation in your router admin panel. See our static IP guide.
Is my local IP address the same as my public IP?
No, they are completely different. Your local IP (like 192.168.1.42) only exists on your home network and is not accessible from the internet. Your public IP is what the internet sees - it is shared by all devices in your home and assigned by your ISP. Many homes have addresses like 192.168.1.x locally but a completely different public IP like 89.245.x.x.
My local IP is 172.x.x.x - is that normal?
Yes, 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255 is another private IP range (defined in RFC 1918) used by some corporate networks and ISP-provided equipment. If your home router shows a 172.x address, it may be behind another NAT device (double-NAT). For most home uses this is fine, but it can complicate port forwarding and some peer-to-peer applications.
Why does WebRTC detection not work in my browser?
Firefox has an option to block WebRTC and Brave's Shields feature does the same by default. Also, some privacy-focused browser extensions disable WebRTC to prevent local IP leaks. If the automatic detection fails, use the manual method for your operating system described above - ipconfig on Windows and ip addr on Linux/Mac are always reliable regardless of browser settings.