Internet protocol or IP address is a unique number assigned to every computer on the network for identification purposes. You need to know this IP address in many situations like remotely connecting from other device, while using file sharing services, etc. For example, you can type your Mac’s IP address like “//IP Address” in Windows File Explorer to access Mac’s file. All what you need are the IP, username and password for establishing a connection over same network. Sometimes, you may also want to renew or change the IP address to a static one. In this article, we will explain various methods to find and change IP address in your Mac.
Private and Public IP Address
Before proceeding, it is necessary to understand the difference between the private and public IP addresses. Since latest Mac models do not offer ethernet port, the only option for you is to use router/modem and connect wirelessly. In this situation, the router will get a dynamic public address from your ISP which can be found by using any online tools. For example, go to our online IP finder tool to get your current public IP address. Note that you will see the VPN/proxy server’s IP if you are using such connection.
Private IP address is assigned from the router to down the line connected devices like your Mac, smartphones, tablets, etc. Being said that, private IP addresses will look same in most cases as they are generated from the router. For example, 192.168.1.x is the most popular range (called subnet or sub-network) of private IP address where x could be from 1 to 255. This private IP address is the one you need for network file sharing and other purposes as this IP can be only seen behind the same router. In this article, we focus on finding this private IP address of your Mac.
1. Find IP from Wi-Fi Icon on Mac Top Menu Bar
The super easy option to find your Mac’s IP address is to simply click on the Wi-Fi network icon showing on the top menu bar. When you click on the Wi-Fi icon, you will simply see the personal hotspot, preferred networks, other networks and network preference link. However, hold the option (or alt) key and click on the icon to see the complete details of the connected network including IP address and MAC address.
If you are not seeing the Wi-Fi icon on the top menu bar, follow the below instructions to enable it:
- Click Apple logo menu and select “System Preferences…” option.
- Click on “Network” and select the currently connected Wi-Fi network.
- Check the box that says, “Show Wi-Fi status in menu bar”.
2. Find IP from About This Mac System Report
You can also find the IP address in Mac from the system report section.
- Click the Apple logo menu and select “About This Mac” option.
- Under “Overview” tab, click “System Report…” button.
- Click on the “Network” heading from left sidebar and select “Wi-Fi” option from right pane under “Active Services” column.
- This will show the complete network details of your Wi-Fi connection including IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
3. Find IP from Mac Terminal
It is also possible find the IP address from command line interface.
- Click on the Spotlight Search icon showing on the top menu bar.
- Type “terminal” and open Terminal app.
- You can use the same ipconfig command that is used to find IP in Windows PC. However, the format is different as below for getting the IP address for your wireless network.
ipconfig getifaddr en0- Enter the command and press enter to get the IP address of your Mac.
Note: en0 in the above command is to get the IP address of your wireless connection. For getting the IP address of ethernet, you should use en0 and the full command should be ipconfig getifaddr en1.
4. View and Change IP from Network Preferences Section
You can use all the above options to only view the IP address. The next option is for both viewing and changing the IP address from “Network” preferences section of your Mac.
- Go to “Apple logo menu > System Preferences… > Network” section.
- Select the connected Wi-Fi network from the left sidebar.
If you want to find IPv4 and IPv6 details or change to a static IP address manually, first click on the padlock icon showing on lower left corner. Provide your administrator name/password to unlock the network screen for editing. After that, click on “Advanced…” button. Go to “TCP/IP” tab to find IPv4 and IPv6 address details.
Click on “Renew DHCP Lease” button to renew the dynamically assigned IP address from the router. If you want to change the dynamic IP address to a static one in Mac, click “Configure IPv4” dropdown and select “Manually” option. Enter IPv4 address, subnet mask, router details and click on “OK” button to change the assignment. Similarly, you can also assign the IPv6 address manually if required.
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