ipconfig / ifconfig Interpreter
Read ipconfig or ifconfig output and spot the misconfiguration that is actually there.
What you paste
Parsed in your browser — never uploadedResult
No addresses recognised
Nothing in that output matched an address, gateway or DNS line. Paste the whole output of ipconfig /all, ifconfig, or ip addr.
What this cannot tell you
- Reads addresses, gateways and DNS servers. It does not test whether any of them work — that requires sending traffic.
- Several IPv6 addresses on one interface is normal. The privacy extension rotates a temporary address deliberately, and it looks like clutter.
- Interface names and formats vary between Windows, macOS and Linux. Paste the whole output rather than one section.
- Parsed in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and what you paste is not stored.
Take this with you
How this reads your output
Addresses, default gateways and DNS servers are extracted from ipconfig, ifconfig or ip addr output and each is read for what it says about the fault. Three findings do most of the work. An address starting 169.254 means no DHCP server answered and the machine assigned its own — the most useful single line in the output, because it places the problem between the machine and the router rather than beyond it. No default gateway means local devices work and nothing else does. And two default gateways is a genuine misconfiguration that fails intermittently, because traffic leaves by whichever route has the lower metric and that can change.
What the results mean
- 169.254.x.x
- Self-assigned. No DHCP server answered, so the fault is between this machine and the router.
- No default gateway
- An address but no route out. Local devices reachable, nothing beyond them.
- Two default gateways
- A real misconfiguration, usually a VPN or a second adapter. Fails intermittently rather than consistently.
- Temporary IPv6 addresses
- The privacy extension working correctly. Clutter to look at and nothing to fix.
Common problems and fixes
- My address starts with 169.254
- No DHCP server answered. Check the cable or wireless connection first, then whether the router is handing out addresses at all.
- Everything looks right but nothing loads
- Check DNS separately. An address, gateway and route can all be correct while name resolution fails, which presents identically.
- I have a dozen IPv6 addresses
- Normal. The privacy extension rotates temporary addresses so the interface identifier cannot be used to track you.
Frequently asked questions
What does a 169.254 address mean?
That no DHCP server answered, so the operating system assigned itself an address from the link-local range. It is the clearest signal in the whole output, because it narrows the fault to between the machine and the router.
Is having two default gateways a problem?
Yes, and an awkward one because it fails intermittently. Traffic leaves by whichever route currently has the lower metric, so the same machine works and then does not with nothing having changed visibly.
Why do I have so many IPv6 addresses?
One stable address plus rotating temporary ones. The temporary addresses exist so that outbound connections cannot be linked to your interface identifier over time.
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