Using tools and proper understanding of what an IP is, others can track your approximate location just by looking at your IP address. It’s important to know that your IP address should never be public knowledge. Typically, your IP address is made up of 4 sets of digits, separated by periods, with up to three digits per set. Without having an IP address, you can’t send or receive information packets, making it impossible to browse the internet. This is similar to an address you’d use for sending mail to another person.Įach device connected to the internet has a unique IP. When you connect to the internet using your Mac, you automatically get assigned a unique number called an Internet Protocol (IP) address. The terminal will display the computer’s hostname.In the Terminal window, type hostname and press Enter.This opens the Terminal application, which will produce a white box as shown below.In the search box that appears, type terminal and press Enter.To find a computer’s hostname, click on the magnifying glass in the top right corner of the screen to open the spotlight search.Ĭlick the magnifying glass to open a spotlight search.The advantage of using this is that even if the IP changes, POSIM will still connect normally. The hostname is an identifier like the IP address, but it does not change.

Click Advanced to display additional network information.Īnother method of connecting to your POSIM database is to use what’s called the “hostname” in place of the IP address. Highlight Wi-fi section to display the IP address. Beneath the Turn Wi-Fi Off button will be the computer’s wi-fi IP address. If connected by wi-fi, this will be indicated in the Wifi section with a green dot and the word “Connected” as well.The IP Address will be listed on the right. If the computer is connected by Ethernet, as indicated by the green dot and the word “Connected,” click to highlight that entry. The Network Preferences pane will display the various network options.It will appear similar in prior versions of OSX. Shown below is the icon as it appears in El Capitan. With System Preferences open, click Network to open the Network Preferences pane.Open the MacOS System Preferences Window by clicking the Apple icon in the top left corner of the screen and selecting System Preferences, as seen in the screenshot below.Outlined below are the steps to find your computer’s IP address and hostname in MacOS. When connecting POSIM clients over a local network it can often be necessary to verify the IP address and/or hostname of a computer.

How to find your ip address mac