IT Queries: Computer problems answered

I’ve been told to find my IP address. What is it and how do I find it?

IP stands for Internet Protocol, it’s the way computers talk to each other over the Internet. To do this, each computer has it’s own address on the network or Internet.

To find your computer’s IP address, open the Run (Windows XP) or Find (Windows Vista) and type CMD. A black screen will appear and you then type IPCONFIG (capitals don’t matter).

This will list all your IP addresses. IP addressed appear in the form of four groups of three separated by fulls stops (eg 192.168.100.203) disregard those that say “not connected” or have a number starting with 169.

One thing to be aware of is if your computer is connected to a home or office network then the IP address shown is that of the local network, the address on the Internet itself will be different and you can find that through online services like What is my IP.

If you require the IP address for something like Virtual Private Networking, it may be necessary to obtain a fixed IP address from your ISP. It may also be necessary to organise a computer tech to setup your service..

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