Whether you're troubleshooting a network issue or setting up a new device, knowing your subnet mask is essential. Here's how to find it on a Windows system using three simple methods.
Method 1: Using Command Prompt
- Press Windows Key + R, type cmd, and hit Enter.
- In the Command Prompt window, type ipconfig and press Enter.
- Locate your active network adapter (Ethernet or Wi-Fi). The subnet mask will appear in the details listed beneath it.
Method 2: Using the Settings App
- Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
- Navigate to Network & Internet.
- On Windows 10: Click View hardware and connection properties.
- On Windows 11: Click Advanced network settings, then Hardware and connection properties.
- In the network properties, you'll see your IPv4 address in CIDR notation (e.g., 192.168.1.5/24).
- The number after the slash (/24) represents the subnet mask in shorthand.
- /24 corresponds to 255.255.255.0, meaning the first 24 bits are used for the network portion.
Method 3: Using Control Panel
- Press Windows Key + R, type control, and press Enter.
- Go to Network and Internet, then Network and Sharing Center.
- Click the name of your active network connection.
- In the Status window, click Details.
- Look for the IPv4 Subnet Mask entry in the list.
With these methods, you can quickly identify your subnet mask and better understand your network configuration. Whether you're a casual user or a network enthusiast, it's a handy bit of info to keep in your toolkit.
Tags
Windows