Ipconfig: how to find out your local IP address and MAC address on Windows

The Ipconfig command line utility under Windows allows you to find out your local IP address and MAC address. This is its most famous function and the one for which it is often used. However, it has several other options that allow you to perform various network-related tasks. Here is everything you need to know about the Ipconfig command and its functions.

 

How to know his IP address? The answer sought most often concerns the public IP address. Several tools or websites allow you to know the address with which you are going on the Internet. This is the case of the site www.monip.org. But no web platform will be able to access your IP adress local, even less to your MAC address unless you have an app installed first. The easiest way is to use the command Ipconfig of Windows.

Ipconfig under Windows: all you need to know

There are a host of utilities to find out the MAC address as well as the local IP address of your PC in a network. All internet boxes as well as classic routers offer this possibility. This does not mean that knowing the ipconfig commands is useless. Already because you can be connected to a network without having access to the administration of the router.

Ipconfig: what is it?

Ipconfig is a command line utility accessible under Windows from the NT version of the system. It is still available in Windows 10. It provides various information related to network adapters and provides limited control over active TCP/IP connections. The Ipconfig function can be run alone or with parameters. The most important ones are: Ipconfig / all, ipconfig / release et Ipconfig/renew.

The simple Ipconfig command

Start by opening the command prompt (type CMD in the Cortana search bar + Enter). Once opened, enter the command ipconfig and validate. In the displayed result, you will be able to read the local IP address of the PC, the subnet mask as well as the gateway for all network cards, whether physical or virtual.

Ipconfig/All

As its All parameter indicates, this function is more complete and allows to display all the active IP information for all the cards. With ipconfig /all you can also find your DNS server and MAC address. 

Ipconfig/release

Any loss of connection with the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server can cause the acquisition of an IP address to fail. It then becomes impossible for the PC to connect to the network and the Internet. In this case, it is necessary release all active TCP/IP connections on all network cards with the command Ipconfig /release.

Ipconfig/renew

After releasing active TCP/IP connections, you can reassign an IP address to regain a network connection. To do this, use the command Ipconfig/renew. This option resets TCP/IP connections on all network adapters. Note that the trick is different from the one allowing to change local IP address in command line.

Finally, there is a method to find out your MAC address very quickly. Enter the command directly getmac which is specific to your computer's physical address. You can therefore use it as an alternative to ipconfig/all.

The editorial advises you:

1. Windows 10: How to use the Remote Desktop feature
2. Mac: how to create a bootable USB drive in macOS?
3. How to Change DNS Servers on Windows 10, Mac, Android, and iPhone

Windows 10 won't start? Several reasons can cause problems when starting Windows 10 for the first time or after an update: Bad BIOS settings,... The battery is one of the essential parts of our laptops. Like smartphones, battery life is a crucial factor for a good experience. Some applications act…Creating a WiFi access point on Windows 10 in order to share your Internet connection is done in two steps, three steps. We explain the procedure to you in this… On Windows, there are several ways to update the drivers. Generally, these update automatically. But it is sometimes necessary to force the maneuver,…