IpConfig vs. PowerShell: When to Use Each for Network Diagnostics

IpConfig: Quick Guide to Viewing Your IP Address on WindowsIpConfig is a built-in Windows command-line tool that provides essential information about your computer’s network interfaces, including IP addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, and DNS server settings. This guide explains what ipconfig does, how to use it to view your IP address, common options, examples, troubleshooting tips, and best practices for everyday and advanced usage.

What is ipconfig?

ipconfig is a command-line utility included in Windows (and available in similar form on other OSes) that displays and manages the configuration of network interfaces. It is most commonly used to:

• View IPv4 and IPv6 addresses assigned to network adapters
• Check subnet masks and default gateways
• See configured DNS servers
• Release and renew DHCP-assigned addresses
• Flush and view the DNS resolver cache

When to use ipconfig

Use ipconfig when you need quick, reliable info about a system’s network configuration. Typical scenarios:

• Verifying your computer’s IP address to connect to another device or service
• Troubleshooting connectivity problems (no internet, wrong subnet, DNS failures)
• After changing network settings or connecting to a new network
• When setting up port forwarding, remote desktop, or other services requiring IP knowledge

How to open Command Prompt or PowerShell

You can run ipconfig from Command Prompt or PowerShell.

• Press Windows+R, type cmd, press Enter — opens Command Prompt.
• Press Windows+X, choose “Windows Terminal” or “Windows PowerShell.”
• Search “Command Prompt” or “PowerShell” from the Start menu and open it.

Run ipconfig commands inside either shell. Administrator privileges are required for some options (e.g., /flushdns affects system cache).

Basic ipconfig commands

• ipconfig
  • Shows basic IP configuration for all adapters (IPv4/IPv6 addresses, subnet masks, default gateway).
• ipconfig /all
  • Displays detailed info: DHCP status, MAC addresses (Physical Address), lease times, DNS and WINS servers.
• ipconfig /release
  • Releases the DHCP lease for all adapters (drops assigned IPv4 addresses), useful before renewing.
• ipconfig /renew
  • Requests a new DHCP lease from the DHCP server. Use after /release or when connection needs resetting.
• ipconfig /flushdns
  • Clears the DNS resolver cache, helpful when DNS records change but the old ones are cached.
• ipconfig /displaydns
  • Shows the contents of the DNS resolver cache, including entries cached by Windows.
• ipconfig /registerdns
  • Refreshes DNS registration for the computer’s name in DNS and re-registers DHCP leases.

Viewing your IP address — step-by-step

1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell.
2. Type:

   
   ipconfig 

3. Press Enter.
4. Look for the adapter that corresponds to your connection:
   • “Ethernet adapter” for wired connections
   • “Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi” for Wi‑Fi connections
5. Under that adapter, find the line labeled IPv4 Address (Windows ⁄₁₁) or IPv6 Address for IPv6. That value is your current IP address on that network.

Example output snippet:

Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:    Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :    Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::1a2b:3c4d:5e6f%12    IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.42    Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0    Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1 

Common scenarios and examples

• I see 169.254.x.x as my IPv4 address

  • That’s an APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing) address used when DHCP fails. Run:

    
    ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew 

  • If it persists, check the router/DHCP server and cable/Wi‑Fi connectivity.

• I need to see DNS server addresses

  • Use:

    
    ipconfig /all 

  • Look for “DNS Servers” under the adapter.

• I changed DNS or hosts and the browser still uses old records

  • Clear the resolver cache:

    
    ipconfig /flushdns 

• I want to renew only one adapter’s DHCP lease

  • You can specify the adapter name in newer Windows builds or use netsh for precise control. Example for ipconfig (adapter-specific may require exact adapter label):

    
    ipconfig /release "Wi-Fi" ipconfig /renew "Wi-Fi" 

  • If that fails, use:

    
    netsh interface ip set address "Wi-Fi" dhcp 

Troubleshooting tips

• Run Command Prompt as Administrator for actions like /flushdns and /registerdns.
• If ipconfig shows no adapters, check Device Manager — network drivers may be missing or disabled.
• Verify physical connections (cables, switch, router) and Wi‑Fi credentials.
• For DNS issues, try public DNS servers (8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1) temporarily to isolate the problem.
• Use ping, tracert, and nslookup alongside ipconfig for deeper diagnostics:

  
  ping 8.8.8.8 nslookup example.com tracert example.com 

Advanced usage and scripting

• Save ipconfig output to a file for diagnosis or logging:

  
  ipconfig /all > C:	emp etwork-info.txt 

• Parse ipconfig in scripts (PowerShell prefers Get-NetIPAddress and Get-DnsClientServerAddress for structured output):

  
  Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 Get-DnsClientServerAddress 

• Automate periodic checks with Task Scheduler to log changes in IP configuration.

Security and privacy considerations

• Your local IP (e.g., 192.168.x.x) is private and not globally routable; it identifies your device only within your local network. Public IP is assigned to your router by your ISP and may be visible to external services.
• Avoid pasting full ipconfig /all output in public forums because it reveals MAC addresses and DNS/WINS server details.

Quick reference: common commands

• ipconfig — show basic info
• ipconfig /all — detailed info
• ipconfig /release — drop DHCP lease
• ipconfig /renew — obtain new DHCP lease
• ipconfig /flushdns — clear DNS cache
• ipconfig /displaydns — view DNS cache
• ipconfig /registerdns — re-register DNS names

This guide covers the practical uses of ipconfig for viewing IP addresses and basic network troubleshooting on Windows. For scripted or programmatic tasks, prefer PowerShell cmdlets (Get-NetIPAddress, Get-DnsClientServerAddress) for structured output.