Each of the devices connected to your network is assigned an IP address. This also includes your wireless access point and is assigned its own IP address. Sometimes, you may need to access this IP address in order to perform certain actions, such as changing the network configuration, setting a new WiFi password, etc.
If you haven’t written down this IP address somewhere, which is unlikely in most cases, you will need to use one of several methods to find the IP address of your wireless access point on your computers. There are methods to find the required IP address for both Windows and Mac computers, and you can use any of them to access your WAP’s IP address.
Methods include both a graphical interface and a command line interface.
Find the IP address of the Windows Wireless Access Point (GUI)
If you are already connected to the network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, you can go to the adapter settings menu to find out the IP address of your wireless access point.
- Right-click the network icon in the system tray and select Open Network and Internet Settings.
- On the next screen, click the Change Adapter Settings option. However, you are not going to change anything.
- The next screen shows all the adapters available on your computer. You want to right-click the current one and select the Status option.
- Click the Details button on the next screen to view more information about your network.
- You should now see some IP addresses on the screen. Find the one printed next to the default IPv4 gateway and that’s the IP address of your wireless access point.
Find the IP address of a Windows wireless access point (CLI)
If you need to find the IP addresses of different wireless access points too often and prefer a simpler solution, you may find it more convenient to use a command line utility to accomplish this task.
In the utility, you can run a command that will allow you to see many details about your network, including the WAP IP address.
- Press the Windows + R keys at the same time, type cmd in the field on the screen, and press Enter.
- When starting Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter.
ipconfig
- Shortly after executing the command, you will see several IP addresses on the screen. The IP address shown next to the default gateway is the IP address of your wireless access point.
View the IP address of a Mac wireless access point (GUI)
The IP address of your wireless access point can also be found on your Mac. If you choose the GUI method, all you have to do is select a few options and you will have access to the required IP address of your WAP.
This assumes that you are already connected to the network via Wi-Fi.
- Click the Wi-Fi icon in the Mac menu bar and select the Open Network Settings option. It opens your network settings.
- Select Wi-Fi in the left sidebar and then click More in the right sidebar.
- On the next screen, click the TCP / IP tab at the top.
- The IP address of your wireless access point should be listed next to the Router. Now you can use it to configure your network.
View the IP address of the Wireless Access Point (CLI) on the Mac
Mac Terminal has a number of commands that you can use to perform various tasks, and one of them allows you to view network information. You can use it to find out the IP address of your wireless access point.
The team should work on Linux as well.
- Click the launcher in the Dock, find a terminal and click it to open it.
- Type the following command and press Enter. Files for the netstat -nr | grep by default
- Unlike other methods, you will only see one IP address next to the default IP. This is the IP address of your wireless access point and you can write it down for future reference.
Search for wireless access points when SSID broadcast is off
One of the features of wireless hotspots is that you can hide them from anyone else. If someone has turned off the SSID broadcast, you won’t be able to find out their WAP IP address as their network simply won’t be found on your list.
If you need to find these hotspots, you’ll need a network scanning app. NetSpot (freemium) is one of the apps that allows you to scan both hidden and non-hidden networks around you. It’s pretty simple to use, all you have to do is install and run it.
- Download, install and run NetSpot on your computer.
- Click Detect when it starts up and waits for it to scan the networks around you.
- You will see a list of networks in which he can search for you.
Difference between WAP and Router
Do not confuse a wireless access point and a router as the same thing. They are actually two different things and therefore work a little differently.
A router is actually the hub that you connect your devices to and is responsible for handling and managing your network. On the other hand, a wireless access point is a wireless point that you connect your devices to and then connects you to the main network.
Wireless access points are commonly used to extend the coverage of the core network so that more people can join. The router can have multiple wireless access points enabled for different purposes, and users can connect to them.
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