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Find Your IP and Make It Static

Local vs global IP, how to find each, and how to give your server a fixed local IP.

beginner ⏱ 5 min 🌐 Connectivity Updated 2026-06-21

You have two IP addresses, and they are easy to mix up:

  • Local IP is the address your router gives your machine on your home network (for example 192.168.1.50). It is not unique, the same numbers are reused on other networks.
  • Global IP (also called public IP) is the single, unique address your ISP gives your house, connecting you to the outside world.

Port forwarding links the two: traffic arriving at your global IP is sent to your server’s local IP.

⚠️ Is hosting right for your setup?

Making a server reachable from the internet only works, and only makes sense, when you control the network. Use a managed address instead if:

  • You're on a network you don't own: public, cafe, hotel, dorm, office, or apartment-building / shared wifi. You can't safely change those routers, and opening them up isn't yours to do.
  • You're behind CGNAT or your ISP blocks inbound ports. Direct hosting can't work no matter what you set.
  • You'd rather not expose your home's public IP. A successful connection reveals it to whoever connects.

For any of these, let Orbitr Pulsar give your server a free, permanent address with no forwarding and your IP kept private, or route around it with a tunnel or reverse proxy: see Public Access.

🤔 How to open a terminal (Command Prompt)

A few steps below use a command line. To open one:

  • Windows: press Start, type cmd, and press Enter. For commands that change settings (like setting a static IP), right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator. Just reading your IP with ipconfig does not need admin.
  • macOS: press ⌘ Space, type Terminal, and press Enter.
  • Linux: open your Terminal app (often Ctrl + Alt + T).

Find Your Local IP

This is the private address you point forwarding rules at.

Find Your Router’s Address (Default Gateway)

Your router’s address (its Default Gateway) is what you open in a browser to log in and change settings. It is almost always one of 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1, 192.168.8.1 (common on GL.iNet), or 10.0.0.1. To find yours:

Open that address in a browser and sign in. The router’s login is often printed on a sticker on the device.

Find Your Global IP

💡 You may not need your raw global IP

Sharing a raw global IP works, but it changes when your ISP rotates it. A custom domain you own (with automatic HTTPS) or a tunnel gives friends a permanent address that survives IP changes — see the options below.

The admin app shows it under Network (Public IP). To check it independently from any device, search the web for “what is my IP”.

⚠️ Your global IP can change

Most home ISPs hand out a dynamic global IP that changes from time to time. If yours does, a fixed address (a managed domain or tunnel) is steadier than sharing a raw IP. See Custom Domain Setup .

Give Your Server a Fixed Local IP

Forwarding rules point at one local IP, so it must not change when the machine reboots. Two ways:

  • DHCP reservation (recommended). Done on the router, so it works no matter the operating system: tie the server’s MAC address to a fixed IP, usually under LAN → DHCP or Address Reservation. Find the MAC with ipconfig /all (Windows) or ip link (Linux).
  • Static IP on the machine. Set it in the OS network settings instead:

What's next?

Custom Domain Setup

Orbitr PulsarOptional

Optional cloud identity backup and sync, so your identity follows you across devices.

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