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To see the addresses assigned to your Kali Linux interfaces, run ip -br addr. Find the active interface and read its inet value for IPv4 or inet6 for IPv6. That is your machine’s local address; to see the IPv4 address an outside service observes, run curl -4 https://api.ipify.org.
Local IP and public IP are different
A local IP address is assigned to a network interface on your computer, home network, VPN, virtual machine, or lab network. A public IP address is the address an external service sees when your traffic reaches it. A router, VPN, proxy, or cloud network may translate or replace the local address along the way, so the two usually differ.
| What you want | Command | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Local IPv4 | ip -4 addr |
The value after inet |
| Local IPv6 | ip -6 addr |
The value after inet6 |
| Compact interface and address list | ip -br addr |
The address shown beside each interface |
| Public IPv4 seen by an external service | curl -4 https://api.ipify.org |
The command’s response |
| Local address selected for an internet route | ip route get 1.1.1.1 |
The value after src |
The Linux ip address command displays interface addresses; Kali documentation also uses ip a and interface-specific forms of ip addr. See the ip-address manual and Kali’s network configuration documentation.
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For the full output, use:
ip addrip a is a shorthand for the same command. Output may look like this:
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1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 state UNKNOWN
inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
inet6 ::1/128 scope host
2: eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 state UP
inet 192.168.1.42/24 brd 192.168.1.255 scope global dynamic eth0
inet6 fe80::1234:5678:abcd:ef01/64 scope linklois the loopback interface.127.0.0.1and::1refer back to the same computer; they are not its address on a LAN or the internet.eth0is the interface name in this example. Your system might use names such aswlan0,wlp2s0,ens33, ortun0.inetintroduces an IPv4 address. Here,192.168.1.42is the local address./24is the CIDR prefix length, which describes the network prefix; it is not part of the address itself.inet6introduces an IPv6 address. An address beginning withfe80:is link-local and generally works only on that local network segment.scope globalindicates an address with broader interface scope, but does not by itself guarantee internet reachability.dynamiccommonly indicates an address assigned dynamically, such as through DHCP.UPandLOWER_UPreport interface state and link status. An address can still be present when routing, DNS, or internet connectivity is not working.
Skip lo when you want a network-facing address. It is normal to see several addresses, including multiple IPv6 addresses or addresses on VPN and virtual interfaces.
Use a shorter command or inspect one interface
For a concise overview, run:
ip -br addrTo reduce the output to one address family:
ip -4 addr
ip -6 addrTo inspect a particular interface, replace eth0 with the name shown on your system:
ip addr show dev eth0
ip -4 addr show dev eth0The interface name is not universal. Use ip link to list interfaces and their state, or check NetworkManager with nmcli device status.
Identify the address Kali will use for a destination
When several interfaces are available, listing addresses may not tell you which one will carry traffic. Ask the routing table which route Kali would use to reach an IPv4 destination:
ip route get 1.1.1.1A result may resemble 1.1.1.1 via 192.168.1.1 dev eth0 src 192.168.1.42. Read it as follows:
devnames the selected interface.srcis the local source address selected for that route.via, when present, names the gateway.
For IPv6, use an IPv6 destination:
ip -6 route get 2606:4700:4700::1111To inspect routes, including the default gateway, run:
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ip route
ip -6 routeLook for a line beginning with default via in the relevant route table. An interface can have an address but still lack a default route, or be connected only to an isolated virtual network. Kali’s network documentation also shows interface-specific route inspection.
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Check addresses and connection state with NetworkManager
If NetworkManager is installed and manages the connection, these commands show device status and details:
nmcli device status
nmcli device showFor one device, use its actual interface name:
nmcli device show eth0To request selected fields, try:
nmcli -f GENERAL.DEVICE,GENERAL.STATE,IP4.ADDRESS,IP4.GATEWAY,IP6.ADDRESS device showconnected means NetworkManager considers a device connected; disconnected means it has no active connection. unavailable may mean the device is disabled, blocked, unsupported, or otherwise unable to connect. Address fields show assigned addresses and the gateway where available. Field availability can vary with NetworkManager version and device, so run unfiltered nmcli device show if a filtered command omits what you need. See the official nmcli reference.
Find the public IP address
A local interface listing cannot reliably reveal the public address created by NAT or a VPN. To ask an external IP-echo service which IPv4 address it sees, run:
curl -4 https://api.ipify.org
echoFor IPv6, try:
curl -6 https://api64.ipify.org
echoThe response is the address presented to that particular service, not a definitive statement about every connection. A VPN may make the result show its exit address; Tor, proxies, corporate gateways, or cloud NAT may also change what is observed. Different services can report differently. These commands need working internet access and DNS. Kali documents curl as a command-line URL transfer tool.
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Older Linux guides may use ifconfig. It remains a compatibility option, but it may not be installed, and the modern ip command is the better first choice:
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ifconfig -aThe -a option includes inactive interfaces. If you specifically need ifconfig for an older guide, install its package:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install net-toolsKali lists ifconfig in the net-tools package; installing it is not required just to check an address. On a minimal installation, utilities such as nmcli may also be absent. Check with command -v nmcli; do not assume every Kali installation has the same desktop or networking tools.
Troubleshoot a missing or unexpected address
No IPv4 address appears
First check interface state, NetworkManager status if available, and routes:
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nmcli device status
ip routePossible causes include an unplugged cable, Wi-Fi that is not associated with an access point, DHCP not providing a lease, a disconnected VM adapter, a disabled interface, or looking at the wrong device. For one interface, check:
ip link show dev eth0
ip addr show dev eth0If NetworkManager manages it, nmcli device connect eth0 can request a connection; substitute the correct device name. Reconnecting can interrupt a remote session, so do not run it casually over SSH or another connection that depends on that interface.
Only 127.0.0.1 appears
You are likely looking only at loopback. Run ip -br addr and check whether a physical or virtual network interface is listed and has an address. If none does, the machine does not currently have a configured network-facing address.
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The address starts with 169.254
An IPv4 link-local address in this range commonly appears when an interface has not obtained a normal DHCP lease. It may support limited communication on the local link, but usually does not indicate a normal routed internet connection. Check nmcli device status, ip route, Wi-Fi association or cabling, DHCP availability, and—if Kali is in a VM—the VM’s adapter configuration.
Several interfaces or addresses appear
This is common with Ethernet and Wi-Fi at once, VPNs, containers, virtual machines, tunnels, or IPv6 privacy addresses. Names such as tun0 or wg0 are often used for VPN tunnels, while docker0, br-*, and veth* commonly relate to containers and bridges. Names are not proof of a device’s role; confirm with ip link, nmcli device status, and ip route get 1.1.1.1.
Kali is running in a virtual machine
The address inside Kali belongs to the VM’s network interface, not necessarily to the host computer. With NAT it is commonly a private address behind the host or hypervisor; bridged networking may put the VM on the LAN; host-only networking may have no internet route. The VM address and the public address returned by an external service answer different questions.
nmcli is unavailable
Minimal installations may omit NetworkManager tools, or the system may use a different network setup. Check command -v nmcli and continue with ip addr, ip link, and ip route. Avoid blindly enabling or restarting networking services on specialized lab or remote systems.
Share command output carefully
Checking an address does not, by itself, expose a service to the internet. But screenshots or copied output can reveal public addresses, private network layout, usernames, hostnames, or MAC addresses. Redact identifying details before posting output publicly. An IP address also does not prove that a service is listening or reachable; Kali’s network-service policy describes its default approach to externally listening services.
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