When querying DNS records in PowerShell, many administrators encounter an unexpected output format. The common approach using [System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses() returns property bags rather than raw values, making pipeline processing cumbersome.

Here's what typically happens:

$computer = 'Server1'
$result = [System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses($computer) | select IPAddressToString
$result.GetType().FullName  # Returns System.Management.Automation.PSCustomObject

The output displays as @{IPAddressToString=x.x.x.x} because PowerShell's Select-Object creates custom objects with named properties.

Method 1: Direct Property Access

The simplest approach for single IP retrieval:

([System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses('Server1')).IPAddressToString

Method 2: Expansion Operator

When you need the raw string value for further processing:

([System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses('Server1') | 
  Select-Object -ExpandProperty IPAddressToString)

Method 3: Array Handling for Multiple IPs

For computers with multiple addresses:

[System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses('Server1') | 
  ForEach-Object { $_.IPAddressToString }

Raw string output enables:

• Direct string manipulation
• Clean integration with logging systems
• Simpler conditional checks
• Better pipeline compatibility

Batch processing example for server lists:

$servers = 'Server1','Server2','Server3'
$servers | ForEach-Object {
    [PSCustomObject]@{
        Computer = $_
        IP = ([System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses($_)).IPAddressToString
    }
}

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Many PowerShell users encounter the same issue when trying to retrieve raw IP addresses from hostnames. The default output from [System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses() returns objects rather than simple string values, which creates formatting challenges.

When you execute:

$computer = 'Server1'
$result = [System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses($computer) | select IPAddressToString

You get objects with properties rather than direct values. This is PowerShell's object-oriented nature at work.

Here are three reliable methods to extract just the IP address string:

1. Accessing the Property Directly

$ip = $result.IPAddressToString
# For multiple IPs:
$ips = $result | ForEach-Object { $_.IPAddressToString }

2. Using -ExpandProperty

$ip = [System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses($computer) | 
      Select-Object -ExpandProperty IPAddressToString

3. Dot Notation Alternative

$ip = ([System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses($computer)).IPAddressToString

For systems with multiple network interfaces:

$allIPs = [System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses($computer) | 
          ForEach-Object { $_.IPAddressToString }
# Get first IP:
$primaryIP = $allIPs[0]

Here's how you might use this in a real script:

$servers = 'Server1','Server2','Server3'
$ipReport = foreach ($server in $servers) {
    try {
        $ip = ([System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses($server)).IPAddressToString
        [PSCustomObject]@{
            ServerName = $server
            IPAddress = $ip
        }
    }
    catch {
        Write-Warning "Failed to resolve $server"
    }
}
$ipReport | Format-Table -AutoSize

The most efficient method for large-scale operations is direct property access:

# Fastest method for bulk operations
Measure-Command {
    1..100 | ForEach-Object {
        $ip = ([System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses('localhost')).IPAddressToString
    }
} | Select-Object TotalMilliseconds

Always include basic error handling:

try {
    $ip = ([System.Net.Dns]::GetHostAddresses($computer)).IPAddressToString
    if (-not $ip) { throw "No IP found" }
}
catch [System.Net.Sockets.SocketException] {
    Write-Warning "Hostname resolution failed for $computer"
}
catch {
    Write-Warning "General error occurred: $_"
}