How to Run ipconfig on Mac

macOS does not use the Windows ipconfig command in the same way, so typing it into Terminal may not give you the network you expect. Instead, Mac users rely on commands such as ifconfig, ipconfig getifaddr, networksetup, and route to view IP addresses, DNS servers, routers, and interface details.

The closest Mac equivalent depends on what you want to check: your local IP address, Wi-Fi or Ethernet interface information, DNS configuration, default gateway, or public IP address. These details are available from Terminal, but macOS also provides graphical options in System Settings for users who prefer not to use commands.

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What Is the Mac Equivalent of ipconfig?

macOS does not use the Windows ipconfig command in the same all-in-one way. On Windows, ipconfig is the standard command for quickly showing IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, default gateway, DNS-related details, and DHCP information. On a Mac, similar information is split across several commands, depending on exactly what you want to see.

The closest general-purpose equivalent is ifconfig. It lists network interfaces such as Wi-Fi, Ethernet, loopback, VPN adapters, and virtual interfaces, along with details like IP addresses, MAC addresses, interface status, and packet statistics. If you are trying to inspect network adapter details in Terminal, ifconfig is usually the first Mac command to try.

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macOS also includes a command named ipconfig, but it is not used the same way as the Windows version. Instead of printing a full network configuration report by default, the Mac version is commonly used with subcommands such as getifaddr to return a specific address for a specific interface. For example, Wi-Fi is often en0 on many Macs, so ipconfig getifaddr en0 may show the Mac’s current Wi-Fi IP address.

Common Windows ipconfig tasks and Mac equivalents

In practice, there is no single perfect replacement for ipconfig /all on macOS. Use ifconfig for interface-level information, ipconfig getifaddr for a quick local IP address, route for the router address, and scutil --dns for DNS configuration. If you prefer a graphical view, macOS System Settings also shows the active network connection, IP address, router, DNS servers, and hardware details in a more guided format.

How to Open Terminal on macOS

To run Mac networking commands such as ifconfig, ipconfig getifaddr, netstat, or scutil –dns, you need to open the Terminal app. Terminal is macOS’s command-line interface, similar in purpose to Command Prompt or PowerShell on Windows, but it uses Unix-style commands. You do not need to install anything extra; Terminal is included with every Mac.

The fastest way to open Terminal is with Spotlight Search:

1. Press Command + Space on your keyboard.
2. Type Terminal.
3. Press Return when the Terminal app appears.

You can also open Terminal from Finder if you prefer browsing through apps manually:

1. Click the Finder icon in the Dock.
2. Select Applications in the sidebar.
3. Open the Utilities folder.
4. Double-click Terminal.

Another option is to use Launchpad. Click the Launchpad icon in the Dock, search for Terminal, then click the app icon. If you use Terminal often, you can keep it in the Dock by opening it, right-clicking the Terminal icon, then choosing Options > Keep in Dock.

When Terminal opens, you will see a window with a command prompt showing your Mac username and computer name. You can type commands at the prompt and press Return to run them. For example, later sections use commands such as ifconfig to list network interfaces and ipconfig getifaddr en0 to show the IP address for a specific interface. Most viewing commands do not change your network settings, but commands entered in Terminal run exactly as typed, so it is best to copy them carefully.

If Terminal asks for permission to access files or folders, that is usually related to macOS privacy controls rather than the network command itself. Basic network lookups normally work without administrator access. If a command requires elevated privileges, macOS may ask for your password after you use sudo, but the common IP address and DNS lookup commands in this guide generally do not need it.

Use ifconfig to View Network Interface Details

The closest macOS command to the Windows ipconfig output is ifconfig. It shows detailed information about your Mac’s network interfaces, including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, loopback, VPN adapters, virtual interfaces, IPv4 addresses, IPv6 addresses, MAC addresses, and interface status. In Terminal, run:

ifconfig

The output can be long because macOS lists every network interface, not just the one currently connected to the internet. You may see interface names such as lo0, en0, en1, awdl0, utun0, and bridge0. The lo0 interface is the local loopback interface, while en0 or en1 is commonly used for Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on your Mac model and configuration. VPN and privacy-related connections often appear as utun interfaces.

How to read common ifconfig fields

• status: active means the interface is currently connected.
• status: inactive means the interface exists but is not connected.
• inet shows an IPv4 address, such as 192.168.1.25.
• inet6 shows an IPv6 address.
• ether shows the hardware MAC address for that interface.
• netmask shows the subnet mask in hexadecimal form.
• broadcast shows the broadcast address for the local network.

For example, if your Wi-Fi interface is en0, you can narrow the output to that interface only:

ifconfig en0

Look for the line that begins with inet. That value is your Mac’s local IPv4 address on the current network. A typical line might look like inet 192.168.1.25 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.1.255. In that example, 192.168.1.25 is the Mac’s private IP address assigned by the router. If you do not see an inet line on the interface you checked, that interface may not be the one currently in use, or it may not have an IPv4 address assigned.

Find the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet interface

If you are not sure whether your Mac uses en0 or en1 for Wi-Fi, you can ask macOS to list hardware ports and device names:

networksetup -listallhardwareports

This command prints entries such as Hardware Port: Wi-Fi followed by Device: en0. Once you know the device name, use it with ifconfig, such as ifconfig en0 for Wi-Fi or ifconfig en1 for Ethernet. This is often easier than scanning the full ifconfig output, especially on Macs with VPN clients, virtualization tools, or mulle network services installed.

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You can also filter the output to show only IPv4 address lines by using:

ifconfig | grep “inet “

This shorter view is useful when you only want assigned IPv4 addresses. Keep in mind that it may include 127.0.0.1, which belongs to the loopback interface and is not your network address. For the address used on your local Wi-Fi or Ethernet network, look for an address commonly starting with 192.168., 10., or 172.16 through 172.31.

Use ipconfig getifaddr to Find Your Mac’s IP Address

macOS does include a command named ipconfig, but it is not the same tool as Windows ipconfig. On a Mac, ipconfig is mainly used to query DHCP-related information for a specific network interface. The most useful form for everyday troubleshooting is ipconfig getifaddr, which prints the IPv4 address assigned to one interface, without the extra detail shown by ifconfig.

To find your Mac’s local IP address, first identify the interface you are using. On most Macs, Wi-Fi is en0. On some models, USB Ethernet adapters, Thunderbolt Ethernet, VPNs, or additional network services may appear as en1, en2, or another name. If you already used ifconfig in the previous step, look for the active interface that contains status: active and an inet value.

Find the IP address for Wi-Fi

Open Terminal and run this command:

ipconfig getifaddr en0

If your Mac is connected through Wi-Fi and en0 is the correct interface, Terminal will return a single address such as 192.168.1.42 or 10.0.0.23. This is your Mac’s private IPv4 address on the local network. It is the address other devices on the same home, office, or school network may use to reach your Mac, depending on firewall and sharing settings.

Try another interface if nothing appears

If the command returns no output, the interface may not have an IPv4 address, or your active connection may be using a different interface name. Try checking another common interface:

• ipconfig getifaddr en1
• ipconfig getifaddr en2
• ipconfig getifaddr bridge0

You can also run ifconfig again and look for the interface with an inet line. For example, if ifconfig shows inet 192.168.0.15 under en1, then ipconfig getifaddr en1 should print that same IPv4 address in a cleaner one-line format.

Common interface names on macOS

The address returned by ipconfig getifaddr is not your public internet address. It is your local network address, assigned by your router or another DHCP server. If you disconnect from Wi-Fi, switch networks, renew your DHCP lease, or connect through a different adapter, this address can change. For quick checks, though, ipconfig getifaddr en0 is one of the fastest Mac Terminal commands for finding the IP address most users are looking for.

Find Your Router, DNS, and Public IP Address

After you know your Mac’s local IP address, the next useful details are the default router, DNS servers, and public IP address. These are different from the private address assigned to your Mac on your home, office, or school network. Your router is usually the gateway that sends traffic outside your local network, DNS servers translate domain names into IP addresses, and your public IP address is the address websites see when your traffic reaches the internet.

Find the Default Router on macOS

To find the router, also called the default gateway, open Terminal and run:

netstat -nr | grep default

The output normally shows a line beginning with default, followed by an IP address such as 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1, or 10.0.0.1. That address is usually your router. If you see more than one default route, look at the interface column. For Wi-Fi, the interface is commonly en0; for Ethernet, it may be en1, en2, or another interface depending on your Mac and adapters.

Find DNS Servers from Terminal

For DNS information, the most direct macOS command is:

scutil –dns

This prints the DNS configuration currently being used by macOS. Look for entries labeled nameserver. You may see local router addresses, such as 192.168.1.1, or public DNS servers, such as 8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1, or addresses supplied by your internet provider, VPN, or workplace network. If you only want a shorter view of DNS servers for a specific service, you can also use:

networksetup -getdnsservers Wi-Fi

If your connection is Ethernet, replace Wi-Fi with the exact network service name, such as Ethernet. To list the available service names on your Mac, run networksetup -listallnetworkservices.

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Find Your Public IP Address

Your public IP address is not usually shown by ifconfig or ipconfig getifaddr, because those commands display addresses assigned to your Mac’s network interfaces. On most home and office networks, your Mac sits behind a router using NAT, so your Mac has a private local IP address while the router has the public-facing address. To check the public IP from Terminal, use a web-based lookup service:

curl ifconfig.me

You can also try:

• curl https://checkip.amazonaws.com
• curl https://icanhazip.com
• dig +short myip.opendns.com @resolver1.opendns.com

If you are connected to a VPN, the public IP shown by these commands may be the VPN server’s address rather than your internet provider’s address. If you are using iCloud Private Relay, a corporate proxy, or certain security tools, the result may also differ from your router’s WAN address. For a quick browser-based check, search the web for what is my IP or visit a trusted IP lookup site.

Useful Command Reference

View Network Information in macOS System Settings

If you prefer not to use Terminal, macOS also shows most of the same network information in System Settings. This is useful when you want to confirm your Wi-Fi IP address, check which network you are connected to, view router details, or inspect DNS configuration without typing commands. The exact labels can vary slightly depending on your macOS version, but the path is similar on recent releases such as Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia.

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen.
2. Select System Settings.
3. Choose Network in the sidebar.
4. Select your active connection, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
5. Click Details next to the connected network or service.

For a Wi-Fi connection, the main Network screen usually shows the network name and connection status. Opening Details gives you more technical information. Under TCP/IP, you can typically see your Mac’s local IP address, subnet mask, router address, and whether the address is assigned using DHCP. The Router value is usually your default gateway, which is the local address of your home or office router, such as 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1.

To view DNS settings, stay in the same Details window and select DNS. This page lists the DNS servers your Mac is using for that network. These may come from your router, your internet provider, a workplace configuration profile, or a custom DNS service such as Google Public DNS, Cloudflare, or Quad9. If the list is editable, you can add or remove DNS servers, but changing DNS can affect browsing, app connectivity, and access to internal company resources.

Common places to check in System Settings

Older versions of macOS use System Preferences instead of System Settings. On those systems, open System Preferences > Network, select the active connection, and click Advanced. The TCP/IP, DNS, and Hardware tabs provide similar details. The graphical view will not show every field that commands like ifconfig, networksetup, or scutil can display, but it is often enough for checking everyday network settings on a Mac.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an exact ipconfig command on Mac like Windows?

macOS has a command named ipconfig, but it does not work the same way as Windows ipconfig. On a Mac, you usually use ifconfig, ipconfig getifaddr, networksetup, and scutil depending on the network detail you need.

What command shows my Mac’s local IP address?

For Wi-Fi, run ipconfig getifaddr en0 in Terminal. On some Macs or wired connections, the interface may be different, such as en1, so you can run ifconfig first to see available interfaces and their assigned addresses.

How do I find my router address on macOS?

Use netstat -nr | grep default to show the default gateway, which is usually your router’s local IP address. You can also find it in System Settings by opening Wi-Fi or Network details and checking the Router field for the active connection.

How can I check which DNS servers my Mac is using?

Run scutil --dns in Terminal to view the DNS resolvers currently configured on your Mac. For a simpler view, you can use networksetup -getdnsservers Wi-Fi, replacing Wi-Fi with the exact name of your network service if needed.

Can I view my IP address without using Terminal?

Yes. Open System Settings, go to Network, select your active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, and open its details to see information such as IP address, router, DNS, and hardware address. You can also Option-click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar to quickly see connection details like IP address, router, channel, and signal strength.

Bottom Line

macOS doesn’t use Windows’ ipconfig command the same way, but you can get the same network details with tools like ifconfig, ipconfig getifaddr, networksetup, scutil --dns, and netstat -nr. Use Terminal when you need precise interface, IP, DNS, router, or DHCP information quickly.

If you prefer a visual approach, System Settings can show the most common Wi-Fi, Ethernet, DNS, and router details without memorizing commands. Start with System Settings for basic checks, then switch to Terminal when you need deeper troubleshooting or exact output to share with support.

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