How to Find My IP on a MacBook
RANDALL BLACKBURN
TECH
To connect another computer on your network to your MacBook using an application like VNC, or to stream media from the MacBook, you need to know the internal IP address for your machine. Find the internal IP address in the Network section of the MacBook System Preferences. You can also find the internal IP by executing the “ifconfig” command from a command prompt. Use an IP finder Web site such as WhatsMyIP to find the external IP address for your network.
- Internal IP - Method 1
- Click the Apple icon
- Click the Network icon in the Internet Wireless section
- Click the Airport option
- Click the tab labeled TCP IP
- Internal IP - Method 2
- Open a Terminal window on the MacBook
- Type
- Ifconfig grep
- Command strips
- Press the Enter key
- External IP
- Open a Web browser on the MacBook
- Navigate
- Displayed prominently on the Web page
1 Internal IP - Method 1
2 Click the Apple icon
Click the “Apple” icon in the top left corner of the MacBook desktop, and then click the “System Preferences” option. The System Preferences screen displays.
3 Click the Network icon in the Internet Wireless section
Click the “Network” icon in the Internet & Wireless section to view the available networks.
4 Click the Airport option
Click the “Airport” option in the left navigation menu to view the IP address of a wireless connection, or click the “Ethernet” option to view the IP address of a wired connection.
5 Click the tab labeled TCP IP
Click the tab labeled “TCP/IP.” View the IP address of the MacBook in the TCP/IP screen.
6 Internal IP - Method 2
7 Open a Terminal window on the MacBook
Open a Terminal window on the MacBook.
8 Type
Type the following command at the command prompt.
9 Ifconfig grep
ifconfig | grep "inet " | grep -v 127.0.0.1
10 Command strips
This command strips unnecessary information and shows only the "inet" entry, which is the internal IP address for the MacBook.
11 Press the Enter key
Press the “Enter” key to execute the command. The IP address of the MacBook displays next to the “inet” label on the screen.
12 External IP
13 Open a Web browser on the MacBook
Open a Web browser on the MacBook.
14 Navigate
Navigate to an IP detection Web site such as WhatsMyIP (link in Resources).
15 Displayed prominently on the Web page
View your external IP address displayed prominently on the Web page in the browser.
- If DHCP is configured on your network, your internal IP address may periodically change. Additionally, the external IP address is “leased” from your ISP. The external IP address is renewed with a new address when the lease expires.
Related Articles
