Using command line tools for networking information

You can use command line tools to quickly get information about your computer and network and to help diagnose network problems. The commands in this topic are for TCP/IP networks.

 How do I find my computer name?

At the command prompt, type hostname, and then press Enter.

 How do I find my computer's IP address?

At the command prompt, type ipconfig, and then press Enter.

For more information about the ipconfig command, at the command prompt, type ipconfig /?, and then press Enter.

How do I find my computer's physical address (the media access control [MAC] address)?

At the command prompt, type ipconfig /all, and then press Enter.

If your computer has more than one network adapter, the physical address of each adapter is listed separately.

How do I get a new IP address?

If your network uses Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), you can get a new IP address for your computer. You might need to do this if you are having connection problems.

1. At the command prompt, type ipconfig /release, and then press Enter.
   This releases your current IP address.
2. At the command prompt, type ipconfig /renew, and then press Enter to get the new IP address.
   The DHCP configuration for all adapters will be renewed. To renew the IP address for a specific adapter, type the adapter name that appears when you type ipconfig at the command prompt.

How do I look up an IP address using a Domain Name System (DNS) name?

At the command prompt, type ping DNS name, and then press Enter.

How do I test communication with another computer?

At the command prompt, type ping IP address of the computer you want to test, and then press Enter.

On a home network, if you don't get a response in a second or two, the other computer is not recognized on the network. Make sure that it's turned on and that the network adapter is enabled.