How to view network settings

Updated September 2026 · Beginner-friendly guide

Overview

ipconfig summarizes active network adapters. ipconfig /all adds physical addresses, DHCP details, and DNS servers.

IPv4 addresses identify a device on a local network; a default gateway usually identifies the router used to reach other networks.

Disconnected and virtual adapters are normal on many computers.
Addresses beginning with 169.254 often indicate that automatic IPv4 configuration failed.
Review output before sharing because it exposes network identifiers.

Type each command at the prompt, then press Enter. Replace sample names and paths with ones that exist on your computer.

Commands are generally not case-sensitive, but preserving the spelling shown here makes scripts easier to read.

ipconfig
ipconfig /all
ipconfig | findstr /i "IPv4 Gateway"
ipconfig /displaydns
ipconfig /flushdns

Options change how a command behaves. Add spaces exactly as shown, and use the command's built-in help when an option is unfamiliar.

A path containing spaces must be enclosed in double quotes, such as "C:\My Files".

/all displays complete adapter configuration.
/displaydns shows the local DNS resolver cache.
/flushdns clears that cache; use it for specific DNS troubleshooting, not routine speedups.

Check the current folder and read the command output before assuming an operation succeeded.

Practice with disposable files first. Commands that delete, overwrite, or stop a process may not offer an Undo button.

Do not use release/renew options on a remote session or managed computer without understanding the outage risk.
An IPv6 address is not evidence of a problem.
IPCONFIG reports local configuration; it does not directly show your public internet address.

Create a temporary practice folder under your user profile so the examples cannot affect Windows system files.

After each command, inspect the result with dir or another read-only command before continuing.