How to Find the IP Address of Your Raspberry Pi (5 Easy Ways)

Short answer: on the Raspberry Pi itself, open a terminal and run hostname -I. If the Pi has no screen, find it in your router's list of connected devices, run ping raspberrypi.local from another computer, or scan your network with a tool such as Fing or Angry IP Scanner.

Knowing your Pi's IP address is the first step for SSH, troubleshooting a print server or checking a Raspberry Pi 3D printer setup. Below are five reliable methods, from easiest to most technical.

Method 1: On the Raspberry Pi (screen or keyboard attached)

1. Open a terminal.
2. Run hostname -I. The first number, for example 192.168.1.42, is the Pi's local IP address.
3. Alternatively run ip addr and look for the inet line under eth0 (wired) or wlan0 (Wi-Fi).

Method 2: Your router's device list

1. Log in to your router's admin page (often 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, printed on the router).
2. Open the page called Connected devices, DHCP clients or Attached devices.
3. Look for a device named raspberrypi, the hostname you set, or a Raspberry Pi network card maker.

While you are there, create a DHCP reservation so the Pi always keeps the same address.

Method 3: Ping the hostname (no screen needed)

From a computer on the same network, run ping raspberrypi.local, replacing raspberrypi with your Pi's hostname if you changed it in Raspberry Pi Imager. The reply shows the IP address. This uses mDNS, which works by default on macOS and Linux and on most current Windows versions.

Method 4: A network scanner app

Apps such as Fing (phone) or Angry IP Scanner (desktop) list every device on your network with its name and maker. Look for the Raspberry Pi entry.

Method 5: Command line scan (advanced)

• arp -a lists devices your computer has recently talked to.
• nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24 scans the whole subnet. Change the range to match your network.

Troubleshooting

• The Pi does not appear anywhere: check the power supply, the network cable or Wi-Fi settings, and that the SD card image booted.
• Two Pis share one hostname: give each Pi a unique hostname, which matters in labs with several printers.
• School or company networks may isolate devices or block scanning. Ask IT for the address or a reserved IP.

Using a Raspberry Pi to connect 3D printers

A Raspberry Pi is a low-cost way to connect a USB 3D printer to the cloud without a PC beside each machine. With 3DPrinterOS you request a Raspberry Pi image from the Printers tab, write it to an SD card and plug the printer in. The printer then appears in your dashboard for remote printing, queues and monitoring. Follow the full Raspberry Pi 3D printing guide, or see how labs manage many 3D printers this way.

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to find my Raspberry Pi's IP address?

If you can reach the Pi's terminal, run hostname -I. Without a screen, open your router's list of connected devices or ping the Pi's hostname, for example ping raspberrypi.local.

What is the default hostname of a Raspberry Pi?

Raspberry Pi OS has long used raspberrypi as the default hostname, but Raspberry Pi Imager lets you set your own during setup, so check what you chose.

Why does my Raspberry Pi's IP address keep changing?

Most routers hand out addresses with DHCP, which can change after a restart. Create a DHCP reservation for the Pi in your router so it always gets the same address.

Do I need the IP address to connect a 3D printer to 3DPrinterOS with a Raspberry Pi?

For normal use, no. The 3DPrinterOS Raspberry Pi image connects to the cloud on its own once the Pi is online. The IP address helps when you want to troubleshoot or log in to the Pi directly.