How to Extract Raw IP Address Value from PowerShell DNS Query Without Object Properties

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
    }
}

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: $_"
}

ServerDevWorker