4 Ways to Learn a Computer's IP Address in Windows 7 & Windows 8

The IP address or Internet Protocol address is a numerical label that is used in networks to identify and location network devices, from computers to smartphones to printers and other devices. Learning the IP address can be very useful information, especially when you want to set up your home router or when you want to connect to other devices on the network. But how do you learn a computer’s IP address in Windows 7 and Windows 8? Let’s find out from this tutorial.
If you want to learn more technical details about IP addresses and their role in networking, we definitely recommend reading this Wikipedia entry: IP address. It is very well documented.

1. Learn the IP Address from the Command Prompt

First open the Command Prompt. Then type the command ipconfig.
This will list all the network adapters found on your computer and details about each of them.

Each network adapter will display both the IPv4 address and the IPv6 Address, in the appropriate fields.

To learn more about the parameters accepted by the ipconfig command and what they do, type ipconfig /?.
If you are interested in learning other networking commands that can be run in the Command Prompt, read this tutorial: Command Prompt - Advanced Networking Commands.

2. Learn the IP Address from the Network and Sharing Center

A less geeky method that doesn’t involve using a command, is to use the Network and Sharing Center. If you want to learn more about it and how to open it, read this guide: What is the Network and Sharing Center in Windows 7 & Windows 8?.
Open it and the click or tap the "Change adapter settings" link on the left.

The Network Connections window now opens, listing the network adapters installed on your computer.

Double click (or double tap) the network adapter for which you want to learn the IP address. This opens the Ethernet Status window for that adapter.

Click or tap Details to learn a series of details about it, including the IPv4 and IPv6 address.

When you are done, Close the windows you just opened.

3. Learn the IP Address from PowerShell

PowerShell is a tool similar to the Command Prompt, only that it is even more powerful and allows you to control or work with many elements that make up Windows.
PowerShell has two commands you can use to learn the IPv4 and IPv6 address.
The first and shortest is gip. Type it and press em>Enter. It will display several details about each network adapter, including their IP addresses.

Another command which returns the same results is Get-NetIPConfiguration. Type it, press Enter and the look for the information you want to learn.

4. Learn the IP Address Using the Network Map (Windows 7 only)

Windows 7 has a unique feature that is not available in Windows 8. It is named the Network Map and it shares a visual map for your network. If you want to learn more about it and everything it has to offer, we recommend reading this tutorial: The Network Map - Access Your Network Computers in a Fun Way.
To access it, first open the Network and Sharing Center. On the top right of the window, there is a link named "See full map". Click on it.

This opens the Network Map. If you hover with the mouse over your computer, networking related information will be displayed, including the IPv4 and IPv6 address.

Write it down and close the Network Map.

Conclusion

Learning your computer’s IP address can be useful in many networking scenarios. If you know of other ways to learn the IP address in Windows, don’t hesitate to share it via the comments form below.