April 18, 2023

How to find Server IP address in Linux? | 5 Different Ways

The IP address is an essential component of all communication over the internet, it’s the unique numerical identifier of each device connected to the network. Whether you are sending an email or browsing a website, your device must have an IP address to communicate with the server. However, there are several ways to learn how to find server IP address in Linux. 

What is an IP Address?

An IP address is a unique numerical identifier assigned to every device connected to the internet. It is necessary to imply all the communication over the internet, including browsing the web, sending and receiving emails, and accessing remote servers. 

There are two main versions of IP addresses which are IPv4 and IPv6 which was invented mainly to resolve the issues related to the limited number of available IPv4 addresses. IPv6 uses 128-bits addresses which can provide almost an unlimited number of IP addresses to cover the shortage.

How to find Server IP address in Linux?

You need to find Server IP address in Linux to know:

Using the ifconfig Command 

The ifconfig command is a networking utility that is used to configure and manage network interfaces. It is installed by default on most Linux distributions and can be used to find the IP address of a server. 

To find the server IP address using the ifconfig command, open the terminal and type:

$ ifconfig

The command will display a list of all network interfaces on your device, along with their IP addresses. The IP address you are looking for can be found under the inet section, followed by the IP address in the format of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx.

Despite the fact that using the ifconfig command is a quick and easy way to find the server IP address, it’s considered an older command and is being phased out in newer versions of Linux.

Using the Hostname Command 

The hostname command is a tool used to obtain the hostname and the IP address of the server in a Linux system. To use this command, open the terminal and type 

$ hostname -I

This command will display the IP address of the server in the format of xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx. However, The hostname command wouldn’t work if the system is not configured with a hostname.

Using the IP Command 

The ip command is a powerful tool that is widely used in Linux for network configuration and troubleshooting. To find the server IP address using the ip command, open the terminal and type:

$ ip addr show

This command will display a list of all network interfaces and their associated IP addresses. However, using the IP command requires root privileges to run, meaning only users with administrative privileges can use this method.

Using the Ping Command 

The ping command is a networking utility that is used to test the connectivity between two devices over a network. It can also be used to find the IP address of a server. To use this command, open the terminal and type

 ‘ping [server name].’

This will display the IP address of the server in the output.

Using the dig Command 

The dig command is a DNS lookup utility that is used to query DNS servers for information about a domain. It can also be used to find the IP address of a server. To use this command, open the terminal and type 

‘dig [server name] +short.’ 

This will display the IP address of the server in the output.

What is Server IP Address and Domain Name ?

A server IP address is a unique numeric address used by devices on a computer network that enables them to communicate with each other. The IP address is used to direct internet traffic to the server that is hosting a website or other internet application. It is typically represented as a string of numbers separated by periods, for example, 192.168.0.1.

A domain name is a human-readable address that is associated with a server’s IP address. It is often used to refer to a specific website or online service, such as www.example.com. Domain names provide a convenient way for people to access a server without the need to remember the IP address. 

In conclusion, server IP addresses are essential components of any networking system, and Linux provides multiple methods for finding server IP addresses.