9th September 2002
Question: How do I find out what my IP address is through Windows 98 and through Windows 2000?
Answer: On Windows 9x/Me you can always go to Start then Run, type Winipcfg and click OK. You should see a drop down menu where you can choose your network card. Once you have chosen your network card, you will be able to see your IP address. For those reading that don't know what an IP address is, just think of it as a street address for your computer, where the network, or the Internet, is the street. If you want to send someone a package, you need to know their street address; the same holds true for connecting to a computer using a protocol called TCP/IP. To get the IP address in Windows 2k/XP you have to go to Start, then type "cmd" (sans quotes) and click OK. From there just type "ipconfig" (again, no quotes) and hit enter. This will list a few sets of numbers, one of which will be your IP address. Each of these methods have a more advanced window that can show you more options like your DNS or WINS addresses. To access this view in Windows 9x/Me just hit the More button in the Winipcfg window. To access this view in Windows 2k/XP then type "ipconfig/all" (sans quotes) at the command window. There are many Web sites that you can go to that will tell you what your IP address is. Of course, if you have a Router or Internet Sharing device then you have to remember the Web sites only show you what your external address is, which won't help you when trying to communicate between two machines on your internal network.