To find your default gateway IP address, check the active network connection: run ipconfig on Windows, open the connected Wi-Fi network’s Details on macOS, or inspect the default route with ip route on Linux. The gateway address is specific to your network; familiar examples such as 192.168.1.1 are not universal.
Find the gateway on Windows 10 or 11
- Open Command Prompt.
- Type
ipconfigand press Enter. - Find the adapter carrying the connection you want to check: Wi-Fi for wireless or Ethernet for a wired connection.
- Read the value beside Default gateway.
Microsoft’s Wi-Fi troubleshooting guidance uses this method and shows 192.168.1.1 only as an example. If ipconfig lists several adapters, ignore disconnected ones and use the interface that is actually connected to the network in question.
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Find the gateway on macOS
- Open Apple menu > System Settings > Wi-Fi.
- Select Details beside the connected Wi-Fi network.
- Read the address labeled Router.
Apple’s network settings guide shows the Router address separately from the Mac’s own Wi-Fi IP address. Use the Router value when you need the gateway.
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Find the gateway on Linux
- Open a terminal.
- Run
ip routeorip route show. - Find the route marked
default. If it includesviafollowed by an address, that address is the next-hop gateway for that route.
For example, a default route written as default via 192.168.1.1 indicates that 192.168.1.1 is the gateway for that route; your output may show a different value. The Linux ip-route manual documents the command and default-route format. If output includes multiple interfaces or routing tables, identify the route associated with the connection you intend to inspect.
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What to do on Android or iPhone
There is no uniform mobile path established by the official guides covered here. Android menus differ by manufacturer and software version; the reviewed Android Wi-Fi guidance does not specify a consistent gateway-address field. Apple’s iPhone Wi-Fi guide explains how to open network information but does not establish that the router address appears there. If you need the gateway and cannot find a clearly labeled field in your device’s network details, check it from a connected computer using the steps above rather than relying on a guessed menu path.
Why the address can differ, or be missing
The gateway belongs to the connection you checked
Choose the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, not a saved network or disconnected adapter. Windows labels the value Default gateway, macOS calls it Router, and Linux shows it as the next hop on a default route.
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Do not guess from common private addresses
Addresses such as 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.0.1 are examples, not a reliable way to identify your gateway. The actual address depends on the network configuration. Microsoft recommends automatic IP assignment through DHCP when the router or access point supports it; see its TCP/IP settings guidance.
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If no gateway appears
- Confirm that the device is connected to the intended network.
- Check the active interface again and make sure you are not reading a disconnected adapter or unrelated route.
- If the field remains blank or Linux shows no applicable default route, that view does not provide a gateway for the active configuration. Do not substitute a familiar address without checking the network.
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