To do some software work it is necessary to know the IP address of a MAC. For that reason, in this article, we will show you the process to view your IP address, both public and private, on a MAC computer. In addition, we will teach you the difference between these two data.
In case you don’t know, the IP address of a computer is very important information. Thanks to the IP address it is possible to track and locate a computer, which can be useful especially if you have been the victim of a robbery.
On the other hand, you can also change the fixed IP address on the computer. This can help us improve connectivity in some cases, but it also leaves us more vulnerable.
How to view the private IP address of a MAC computer
As we well know, MAC computers use a particular software that is very different from Linux and Windows. In fact, it has its own App Store from where we can download applications for our Mac without having to have an iTunes account, which is a great advantage.
Although Mac computers have special software, it gives us the opportunity to install some programs that are common. For example, we have the option to download and install Google Chrome OS. That is, in the end, it does not end up being as exclusive as many say.
Now without further ado, we will show you all the steps you need to do to see the private IP address on your Mac computer.
In MAC OS 10.5 or higher do the following:
- Click on the Apple logo located in the upper left corner of the main interface.
- Select the “System Preferences” option.
- Click on the box that says “Red”. Usually, this is in the third row of options. Otherwise, use the search bar.
- Choose the connection that is in use. It will be the one with a green circle next to it.
- The IP address of your MAC will be found in the data shown in this window. There you can also see the default gateway, the DNS server, among other things.
On Mac OS 10.4 or lower do the following:
- Click on the Apple icon located at the top left of the main interface.
- Select the “System Preferences” option.
- Click on the «Network» option. If you can’t find it, you can use the search bar located in the upper right corner.
- Select the box identified as “TCP/IP”.
- You will find the private IP of your MAC in the “IP Address” section. As in the previous case, in this window, you will also find information that may be useful to you on subsequent occasions.
Method 2: Using the Terminal application. It is the counterpart of the Windows Command Prompt or Cmd Window.
- Open the “Terminal” application. You will find it in the Utilities »section of the« Applications »folder. You can also use the internal MAC browser.
- Copy the following command: «ifconfig | grep “inet” | grep -v 127.0.0.1 ». This is a command that will specifically show you your private IP address; what appears after inet. The reduced version of this command (ifconfig) will also show you the information you are looking for, but it is a bit confusing as it includes a large amount of information related to the Internet connection.
How to view the public IP address of a MAC computer
Method 1: Use a web application. This is the simplest option.
- Search in Safari or any other Internet browser for the phrase “What is my IP?”
- Select the first result that appears.
- Once inside, the application will show you your public IP address.
Method 2: Using the MAC OS Terminal application
- Open the Terminal application.
- Write the following command: “curl ifconfig.me”
- It will unequivocally show you the public IP address of your MAC.
Difference between public and private IP address
An IP address is a series of numbers that specifically identify our router when a device connects to the Internet through it. There are two types: public and private.
- The private IP serves to identify the devices that connect to a router. This serves so that there are no communication errors between the receiving and sending device.
- This can be static, when we assign it manually, or dynamic when it is assigned automatically by the router. This IP allows us to share information between computers that are connected to the same network, for example, a mobile phone and a printer.
- The public IP identifies our router when we browse the network. It is assigned by our Internet provider, although it can be changed by hiring a dedicated IP. Needless to say, this is confidential information; It should not be disclosed through any means, as our equipment will be more vulnerable to external attacks. One of the many possibilities that allow us to know our public IP is to connect to our computers remotely through a VPN or third-party application.