Finding Your Mac IP Address Using Terminal Commands

What is Mac IP address command line for Terminal?

The command that will make Mac Terminal show IP address is ipconfig. It will be your private IP address — the unique string of numbers your router provides to every device connected to your local network. 

But why you need to use the Mac Terminal command for IP address? Let’s quickly discover the most common reasons.

Situations when you need to look for your IP address

Most likely, you need to find your private IP using the ipconfig command to access your router’s admin panel. To open this page, you should type your IP in the browser’s address bar. Here’s when it could be necessary:

• To change your network’s name (SSID)
• To create a new password for your Wi-Fi network
• To verify who can access your local network
• To configure ports or establish port forwarding
• To turn on or off Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) on your router
• To set up a virtual private network (VPN) on your router
• To set up parental controls
• To reconfigure your Wi-Fi security preferences
• To change your DNS settings
• To create a guest network

Read also: How to find your router’s IP address on all devices

Now, whatever the reason, here’s how to check IP address via Mac Terminal.

How to find IP address on Mac Terminal: A step-by-step guide

Follow this simple guide to get IP address from Mac Terminal.

Step 1. Open Terminal on your Mac

Find the Terminal app through the Spotlight search — simply click the looking-glass icon at the top-right menu and type Terminal.

Alternatively, you can find Terminal in Finder:

1. Open Finder and head to the Applications folder.

2. Find the Utilities folder.

3. Select Terminal.

Step 2. Use the command to find IP address in Mac OS

Type the ipconfig command in a new Terminal window. Once done, hit enter on your keyboard. You will get lots of information about your connection, including your private IP address.

Step 3. Locate your IP address

Find the line that starts with “intet.” The set of numbers next to it is your IP address. Most likely, it will be something like 111.111.111.1. Copy this info to and insert it in your browser’s address bar to enter your router’s admin panel.

Read also: How to change your IP address on Mac

Now that you know how to show Mac address with IP command in Terminal, let’s explore another simple method to find this information. 

Another way to find your IP address on Mac

Here’s an alternative way to find your IP address on a macOS device:

1. Click the Apple icon at the top left corner of your screen and choose System Preferences.

2. Select Network.

3. Open the Advanced section.

4. You will find your private IP address next to Router.

Yes, that’s just as easy as it gets! But your private IP is not the only address associated with your connection. There’s also a public IP address — a set of numbers that allows your device to communicate with the servers of the websites you visit.

How to find your public IP address on Mac

To locate your public IP address on your Mac, feel free to visit the “What is my IP?” page on the VeePN website. It will not only show you your current public IP, but also reveal the location of your Internet service provider (ISP) and other sensitive details. 

Now, guess what? While your private IP is only available to you, your public IP address is always visible online, putting your online privacy at enormous risk. Anybody, from a nosy snooper to an actual cybercriminal can use this information to complete a puzzle of your online identity.

Not cool, right? That is why it’s a good idea to change (or rather mask) your IP address.

Do you need to change your IP address?

Changing your private IP address (the one you can find using our Mac Terminal IP address lookup guide above) is only necessary in the following situations:

• To troubleshoot the Internet connection on one of the devices connected to your local network
• To set a static IP address (the one that doesn’t change when you restart your Wi-Fi router)

In contrast, changing your public IP address is highly recommended for the following reasons:

• To enhance your online privacy: You don’t want anybody to track and collect your personal details, including your location.
• To overcome content limitations: You want to access specific content that is blocked in a particular region — for instance, when going on a vacation or work trip. 
• To avoid Internet throttling: Hiding your IP address will let you stay away from Internet throttling — a technique many ISPs impose to limit users’ traffic and connection speed.

There are a couple of methods to mask your IP address on Mac, including proxy servers, the Tor browser, and Smart DNS. But none of them matches a powerful VPN solution like VeePN, which offers a perfect balance between robust security, enhanced online privacy, and smooth connectivity.

Protect your network and hide your IP address with VeePN

Using a VPN for Mac will help you avoid unwanted monitoring and take your Internet privacy to the next level. Besides, you will be able to access content and browse the web freely by altering your virtual location.

Need to protect your home network from unauthorized access and other potential dangers? VeePN covers that, as well! Avoid IP and DNS leaks, stay away from dangerous websites, and prevent snooping attempts with our intuitive VPN app. Plus, you can even install VeePN directly on your Wi-Fi router and use it on up to 10 devices simultaneously with a single subscription. 

Try it out today risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

Written by VeePN Research Lab VeePN Research Lab is dedicated to provide you latest posts about internet security and privacy.

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