Internet: Find IP Address

3 Simple Ways Finding your IP Address

In case you are wondering what IP address is, the following are the definitions by Microsoft and Wikipedia respectively:

Short for Internet Protocol address. An IP address identifies a computer that is connected to the Internet or a network. An IP address usually consists of four groups of numbers separated by periods, such as 192.200.44.69.

An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a numerical identification (logocal address) that is assigned to devices participating in a computer network utilizing the Internet Protocol for communication between its nodes. The role of the IP address has been characterized as follows: "A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route indicates how to get there."

Have you ever wondering what your IP address is? IP address is getting more and more important in the Internet nowadays. For instance, your IP address is what Google will see if you try to click you Adsense ads by yourself, and it is what Google use to get you banned!

So, to find your IP address, here are 3 simple ways to do just that.

Control Panel

As I am using Vista, the first method is based on Vista system (Xp users read second method). Here are the steps:

1. Go to Control Panel, Open Network and Sharing Center.
2. Under Connection, click View status.
3. Click Details. Your computer's IP address appears in the Value column, next to "IPV4 IP Address."

Using Command: IPconfig

This method can be used for both vista and xp. However the images you will see are based on Vista as I captured the pictures when I am running Vista.

So, this is the how-to.

1. First, open Run from your Start Menu. (tips: you can search it first using search box, this is why vista is powerful in searching files inside you computer).
2. Type cmd.
3. A black window will appear. Relax, you are not messing up your computer, what you need to do is to type: ipconfig.
4. You will see you ip adress under ipv4 (for vista).

Google Desktop

If you have installed Google Desktop from Google, then I believe this is the easiest way to find your IP address. This is so as there are one or two gadgets that once added to your sidebar, will immediately show the IP address of you computer. Fast isn't it?

1. If you do not have Google Desktop, you can download it here.
2. Open you sidebar if you dont start it at the start up.
3. Add gadget to you sidebar by clicking the + button on top of your sidebar or by clicking the gadgets tab on your task bar, then click Add gadgets. Then a new window listing variety of gadgets will be displayed.
4. Then search for IP address, and you will see this window. Click the one you want to add to your sidebar.
5. Once added, you will see the gadgets on your sidebar. The image below is what I have when I choose the first gadget.

Hope this helps.