An IP address is a unique identifier assigned to a computer connected to a network. The network addresses of computers on the local network do not match the IP addresses used on the Internet. You can find out the local address of your computer using Windows tools.
Using the command line
This method is suitable for computers running any version of Windows. Press the Win + R keys. In the "Open" line, write the command cmd and press Enter, as a result a command prompt window will open. Enter the ipconfig / all command. If your computer is running Windows XP, in the "Local Area Connection - Ethernet adapter" section, find the line IP address. On a computer running Windows 7, the line will look slightly different: IPv4.
Network connection properties
If your computer is running Windows XP, click "Start" and in the "Settings" section click "Network Connections". In the new window, determine which of the icons refers to the network card through which the computer is connected to the local network. Right-click on it and select the "State" command from the context menu. Go to the "Support" tab. The "Connection Status" section will show the IP address assigned to your computer by the server.
You can open the network connections window differently: right-click on the network connection icon in the tray (bottom line of the screen) and select the "Status" command. In the window that opens, define the required connection and proceed as described above.
On a computer running Windows 7 and Windows Vista, you need to proceed a little differently. From the "Start" menu go to the control panel and click on the "Network Control Center …" icon. Follow the "Change adapter settings" link from the menu on the left side of the network connections window. Further, the procedure is the same as for Windows XP.
To open the Network Connections window in all versions of Windows, press Win + R and enter the ncpa.cpl command.
How to hide the local IP address
In some situations, you may want to hide your actions on the network. To do this, you need to change your IP address to another one that is valid in this network.
It should be borne in mind that an attempt to hide or replace your IP will certainly not meet with the approval of the network administrator.
First find out your IP address using one of the methods described above, then select a fictitious address from a valid range. For example, if the local network addresses are 192.168.0. ***, then it is better to take 192.168.0.250, since it is more likely that it is free.
Then open the network connections window, right-click on the required connection and check the "Properties" command. Click the "Configure" button and go to the "Advanced" tab. In the "Properties" window, find the item "Network address" and enter the required data in the "Value" line on the right.
