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The right way to get a server’s IP depends on which address you need. If you have a domain or hostname, look up its DNS records with dig or nslookup. If you’re logged in to the server, inspect its network interfaces with ip addr on Linux or ipconfig /all on Windows. For a cloud server, check the provider’s console: its public IP can differ from the private address shown inside the machine.
First, decide which server IP you need
“The server IP” can refer to several different addresses. They may not be the same, so choose based on what you’re trying to do:
| Address | What it identifies | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Public IPv4 | An IPv4 address reachable from the internet, subject to routing and firewall rules | Connecting from outside a network, such as SSH, RDP, or a firewall allowlist |
| Private IPv4 | An address used within a local network, cloud VPC, or subnet | Internal services, such as a web server connecting to a database |
| IPv6 | An address in the newer IP address format; it may be publicly routable | IPv6 clients or dual-stack services |
| DNS-resolved address | An address published for a hostname | Connecting to a site or service by domain name |
| Origin IP | The backend server behind a CDN, reverse proxy, or load balancer | Infrastructure administration; it may be deliberately hidden from public DNS |
| NAT or egress IP | The public address other systems see when the server makes an outbound connection | Allowlisting the server for outbound access |
| Loopback | The machine itself, usually 127.0.0.1 or ::1 |
Local-only testing; it is not the address remote users should connect to |
| Link-local | An address limited to the local network link, such as 169.254.x.x or fe80::/10 |
Limited local-link communication |
Private IPv4 addresses commonly fall within 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, or 192.168.0.0/16. The ranges 127.0.0.0/8 and 169.254.0.0/16 are loopback and IPv4 link-local ranges, respectively. These are useful recognition aids, not a complete classification of every IP address.
For a quick choice: use DNS when you have a hostname; use the server’s interface commands when you’re logged in; use the cloud console to identify its assigned public or private address; and use an external IP check when you need the public address used for outbound traffic.
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Get the IP address from a domain or hostname
DNS lookup returns the address currently published for a hostname. An A record maps a name to IPv4; an AAAA record maps it to IPv6. A CNAME points one name to another name, which is then resolved to an address. DNS is managed wherever the domain’s authoritative DNS is hosted—not necessarily on the server itself. Cloudflare explains DNS records and resolution, and Microsoft documents Windows DNS queries and lookups.
Linux, macOS, and other Unix-like systems
dig example.comTo print only the address records:
dig A example.com +short
dig AAAA example.com +shortAnother widely available option is:
host example.comTo ask a particular resolver, such as Cloudflare’s public resolver:
dig @1.1.1.1 example.comFor a reverse lookup—asking DNS for a name associated with an IP—use:
dig -x 203.0.113.25Replace the example name or address with the one you’re checking. Reverse DNS is controlled by the owner of the IP range. The result may be missing, generic, or unrelated to the domain’s forward DNS, so it does not prove who owns or operates a server.
Windows
In Command Prompt or PowerShell, run:
nslookup example.comTo ask specifically for IPv4 or IPv6:
nslookup -type=A example.com
nslookup -type=AAAA example.comFor reverse DNS:
nslookup 203.0.113.25Unless you specify a DNS server, nslookup uses the system’s default resolver. It also supports interactive mode. See Microsoft’s nslookup command reference for syntax.
Check the DNS control panel
If you administer the domain, look for its A and AAAA records in the DNS zone. The zone may be managed through your registrar, hosting provider, Cloudflare, Amazon Route 53, or another DNS provider. A cloud load balancer or CDN may have its own public endpoint details to check.
A DNS answer is not necessarily the backend server’s IP. A CDN, proxy, load balancer, or hosting gateway may receive traffic first. With proxied Cloudflare records, for example, DNS can return Cloudflare-facing addresses rather than reveal the origin; see Cloudflare’s explanation of proxied records.
If different lookups return different addresses, that can be legitimate. A service may use geographic routing, split-horizon DNS (different answers inside and outside a network), load balancing, or several addresses for availability. Resolver caching and short DNS TTLs can also affect what you see. Check both IPv4 and IPv6: a client may use an AAAA record even when an A record is also present.
Find the address while logged into the server
Linux
List the network interfaces and their assigned addresses:
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ip addrip a is a shorter equivalent. In the output, inet indicates IPv4 and inet6 indicates IPv6. Find the interface carrying the server’s relevant traffic; names often look like eth0, ens5, or enp1s0. The ip command is documented in the Linux ip-address manual.
To print addresses assigned to the host:
hostname -IThis may print more than one address. Don’t assume the first one is the public address. The hostname manual describes this option.
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To see which local source address the system would use to reach an internet destination:
ip route get 8.8.8.8This can help identify the chosen interface and local address, but it does not necessarily show the public address after network address translation (NAT).
Windows Server
Run either command in Command Prompt or PowerShell:
ipconfig
ipconfig /allipconfig displays IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, subnet masks, and default gateways for adapters. The /all option shows the full TCP/IP configuration, including DNS and DHCP details. Microsoft provides the ipconfig reference.
In PowerShell, you can also run:
Get-NetIPAddress
Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4To exclude the IPv4 loopback address from that output:
Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 |
Where-Object {$_.IPAddress -ne "127.0.0.1"}These commands show addresses assigned to local interfaces. They do not guarantee that an address is reachable from the internet.
macOS
On a Mac, get the IPv4 address for Wi-Fi interface en0 with:
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ipconfig getifaddr en0Interface names vary: wired networking or another configuration may use en1 or a different name. To list interfaces and their addresses, run:
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ifconfigThese commands show the Mac on which they run. To inspect a remote server, run an appropriate command after connecting to that server—for example, over SSH to a Linux machine.
Find a cloud server’s public and private IP
Cloud providers distinguish addresses assigned within their private network from public addresses used to reach a service from outside it. Start with the instance’s Networking, Network interfaces, or Public IP section. If users connect through a load balancer or gateway, check that endpoint too.
Amazon EC2
In the AWS console, open EC2 → Instances, select the instance, and open its Networking tab. Look for Public IPv4 address, Private IPv4 addresses, public DNS, and any IPv6 information.
To retrieve an instance’s private IPv4 address with the AWS CLI, replace the example instance ID with yours:
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--instance-ids i-1234567890abcdef0
--query "Reservations[].Instances[].PrivateIpAddress"
--output textFrom an EC2 instance, the IMDSv2 metadata service can return its local and public IPv4 addresses. First request a short-lived metadata token, then use it in the metadata requests:
TOKEN=$(curl -X PUT
"http://169.254.169.254/latest/api/token"
-H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token-ttl-seconds: 21600")
curl -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: $TOKEN"
http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/local-ipv4
curl -H "X-aws-ec2-metadata-token: $TOKEN"
http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/public-ipv4These are AWS-specific metadata paths, not universal cloud commands. Use them only from an EC2 instance configured to make the metadata service available. AWS explains that a public IPv4 address is mapped to the instance’s private address through NAT and may not appear in local interface output; see its EC2 IP-address guide and instance addressing documentation.
EC2 public IPv4 assignment is optional and depends on subnet and launch configuration. AWS documents charges for public IPv4 addresses, including those associated with running instances and Elastic IP addresses; an Elastic IP is an option when you need a persistent public IPv4 address. Check current AWS pricing for your region and setup before choosing one.
DigitalOcean and other providers
A Droplet’s network information is available in the DigitalOcean control panel. With doctl, you can request its public IPv4 address:
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doctl compute droplet get <droplet-id> --format Name,ID,PublicIPv4DigitalOcean distinguishes a Droplet’s leased IP from a Reserved IP, a public static address that can be reassigned between Droplets in the same datacenter. A leased address is not necessarily preserved if you destroy a Droplet or move it between regions. Read the provider’s current Droplet IP guidance and doctl reference.
For other cloud providers, find the instance’s public and private network details in the console. If the service uses a load balancer, gateway, or virtual network, identify the address for that path. Metadata services are provider-specific; confirm the provider and its metadata version rather than reusing AWS commands elsewhere.
Get the public address seen by the internet
If you need to know which public IPv4 address an external site sees when the server makes an outbound connection, run this on the server:
curl -4 https://ifconfig.meFor IPv6, if the server has connectivity and the service supports it:
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Verify the address before using it
An IP lookup shows an address; it doesn’t prove that the intended service is listening there. Check that you have the right address family and network path, then test the service you need. For example:
ping 203.0.113.25
nc -vz 203.0.113.25 22
curl -I https://example.comThese test different things: ping uses ICMP, nc can test whether a TCP port such as SSH’s port 22 is reachable, and curl can check an HTTP response. Replace the example values with your server, port, or domain. Use them only on systems you own or are authorized to test.
A failed ping does not prove the server is offline; ICMP may be blocked. A reachable port does not prove the expected application is running. Firewalls, cloud security groups, network ACLs, routing, and the service’s listening address can all affect reachability.
HTTPS often depends on the domain name for both TLS certificate selection and virtual hosting. To test a specific IP while preserving the hostname, use:
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curl -I --resolve example.com:443:203.0.113.25
https://example.comFor SSH, connect to the address only if it is the right public or private endpoint for your network path:
ssh [email protected]Troubleshooting: the address isn’t what you expected
The only address shown is 127.0.0.1 or ::1
That is loopback: the machine referring to itself. Look for an active Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or cloud network interface in ip addr, ifconfig, or ipconfig /all. If you ran the command on your own computer, it shows that computer—not a remote server.
You see only a private address, but need a public one
The server may be behind a router, NAT gateway, reverse proxy, load balancer, or CDN. Check the hosting or cloud console for its assigned public address, or run an external IP check to see its outbound egress address. Those can be different values: an outbound NAT address is not necessarily the inbound address clients should use.
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This is normal for machines with multiple interfaces, IPv4 and IPv6, VPN or container interfaces, secondary addresses, or multiple subnets. Match the address to the intended connection path: external users, internal services, or outbound allowlisting. Don’t select an address just because it appears first in command output.
The domain resolves to an old or unexpected address
Check that you edited the DNS zone served by the domain’s authoritative nameservers. A cached answer may persist until its TTL expires; internal and external DNS may differ; a proxy or CDN may return edge addresses; and load balancing may return multiple answers. Check both A and AAAA records and compare resolvers if needed. Different answers can be intentional.
The public IP keeps changing
A dynamic address can change when a server is recreated, released and renewed, or its network configuration changes. If clients or firewall allowlists require a stable address, use the provider’s static-address option—such as an AWS Elastic IP or DigitalOcean Reserved IP—and check current charges and eligibility first.
The IP works internally but not from outside
You may be using a private address, or an inbound firewall, security group, ACL, route, or service binding may block external access. Check that you’re using the correct public endpoint and port, and that the service listens on an interface reachable through that endpoint. If a proxy or load balancer is in front, test its address rather than assuming the backend IP is directly accessible.
HTTPS works by hostname but not by raw IP
This can be normal. The certificate and virtual host may be configured for the hostname, not the IP. Test the hostname, or use curl --resolve as shown above to direct that hostname to a specific address while retaining the correct TLS and HTTP host information.
Quick reference
| Goal | Command or place to check |
|---|---|
| List Linux interfaces and addresses | ip addr |
| Print addresses assigned to a Linux host | hostname -I |
| Find Linux server’s internet-visible IPv4 | curl -4 https://ifconfig.me |
| View Windows network configuration | ipconfig /all |
| Look up a domain on Unix-like systems | dig example.com |
| Look up a domain on Windows | nslookup example.com |
| Query a domain’s IPv4 record | dig A example.com +short |
| Query a domain’s IPv6 record | dig AAAA example.com +short |
| Reverse-lookup an IP | dig -x 203.0.113.25 |
| Find EC2 public and private addresses | EC2 console → Instances → select instance → Networking |
Remember: DNS tells you where a hostname currently points; interface commands show addresses assigned on a machine; and a cloud console can reveal public-to-private mappings that local output does not. Confirm the address against the network path and service you actually need.
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