# VNC ? What is my IP? ipconfig does not do it
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 30, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042 "2010-01-30T18:47:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/1 "2010-01-30T18:47:28Z")
The hell. … I’m trying to conect to my Mom’s PC to help her out and cannot figure out her IP address.
VNC. usually a pretty good way to conect. I have her on the phone but we cannot figure out her IP.
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### Author:  [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/2 "2010-01-30T18:55:58Z")
Have her visit [http://checkip.dyndns.org/](http://checkip.dyndns.org/)
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### Author:  [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/3 "2010-01-30T18:58:26Z")
> [@enipla](#):
>
> VNC. usually a pretty good way to conect. I have her on the phone but we cannot figure out her IP.
If there is a router between her PC and the cable / DSL /whatever modem, you may need to configure it to pass the VNC traffic to her PC.
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### Author:  [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/4 "2010-01-30T18:59:57Z")
> **[What Is My IP?](https://www.whatismyip.com/)**
>
> Check the IP address assigned to your device. Show my IP city, state, and country. What Is An IP Address? IPv4, IPv6, public IP explained.
(There are many such services on the web, but this one’s domain name fits the thread title well 🙂 )
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### Author:  [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/5 "2010-01-30T19:01:26Z")
> [@Terry\_Kennedy](#):
>
> If there is a router between her PC and the cable / DSL /whatever modem, you may need to configure it to pass the VNC traffic to her PC.
If router port forwarding proves too complex you might try installing the free version of hamachi to set up a virtual network. its childs play to setup and will give you an easily accessed IP even if she is dynamic on her end for later incidents, or the free versions of logmein and such.
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/6 "2010-01-30T23:14:58Z")
If the above suggestions don’t work, try CoPilot:
> **[Copilot | Modern Client Portal](https://www.copilot.com/)**
>
> Give customers a one-stop shop experience with a white label client portal that streamlines messaging, payments, file-sharing, help centers, and more.
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/7 "2010-01-30T23:56:02Z")
If your mother hovers the mouse pointer over the VNC icon in the system tray, it will tell her the PC’s IP address.
As previously mentioned, you may need to configure port forwarding on her router if she has one. You may also need to configure her local firewall.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/8 "2010-01-31T00:54:01Z")
Got her IP and I can ping it. But no luck with VNC. Connection refused. Before asking for a password… Suspect firewall issues. What do you folks think?
(I’m just trying to help out my 80yo Mom that is not sure if she has one or two hard drives, a drive into town is on the horizon, but I really would like to know what to expect.)
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/9 "2010-01-31T00:56:21Z")
> [@Quartz](#):
>
> If your mother hovers the mouse pointer over the VNC icon in the system tray, it will tell her the PC’s IP address.
>
> As previously mentioned, you may need to configure port forwarding on her router if she has one. You may also need to configure her local firewall.
Yeh, first thing I asked her do. It does not read right or it’s blows off the right side of the screen… Something is weird there.
spelling. ummm… well I missed that day… and yes firewall
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/10 "2010-01-31T01:58:03Z")
> [@enipla](#):
>
> Got her IP and I can ping it. But no luck with VNC. Connection refused. Before asking for a password… Suspect firewall issues. What do you folks think?
You might have to setup NAT port forwarding on your gramma’s machine. That might be difficult to do if you don’t have physical access to the machine:
> **[How To Set Up Port Forwarding - Port Forward](https://portforward.com/)**
>
> An explanation of port forwarding and the necessary steps to set up port forwarding in your router.
CoPilot might just be an easier solution for you.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/11 "2010-01-31T14:55:36Z")
> [@VNC error](#):
>
> Unable to connect to host: Connection refused (10061)
I get the same thing when I try to connect to my own machine (from my own machine).
I do have a router. My mother does not. She is Norton I’m McAfee.
When I visit those sites to check my IP, I get a number that is xx.xx.xxx.xx. But when I ping my own machine I get a completely different number xxx.xxx.x.xxx
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/12 "2010-01-31T16:42:27Z")
Do you and Mom have Windows? You can use Remote Assistance instead of VNC…
[Instructions for XP](http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/remoteassist/intro.mspx)
[Instructions for Vista](http://www.windowsvistauserguide.com/windows_remote_assistance.htm)
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### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/13 "2010-01-31T16:44:51Z")
Holy crap people. [Teamviewer](http://teamviewer.com/index.aspx).
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/14 "2010-01-31T16:52:34Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#):
>
> Holy crap people. [Teamviewer](http://teamviewer.com/index.aspx).
Thanks I’ll give it a try. And Windows remote. Both require more downloads of course. And I’m trying to talk My 80yo Mom through this. She is quite tech savy, so it should work.
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### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vnc-what-is-my-ip-ipconfig-does-not-do-it/527042/15 "2010-01-31T17:40:02Z")
All she needs on her end is the quick support program, it doesn’t require installation. On the download page just click on “For the instant customer: TeamViewer QuickSupport” and run.