What Is My IP Address?

Your Public IP Address

This is your address visible to the internet.

Note

Your public IP identifies your internet connection to websites and services. It helps in geolocation and identifying your provider.

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What Is an Internet Protocol (IP) Address?

An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique numerical identifier assigned to every device or router connected to a computer network. Just as a physical postal address routes mail to a specific building, an IP address tells servers on the internet where to send requested web pages, media streams, and application data.

When you perform an internet protocol address lookup, you are checking the public IP address assigned to your connection by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This external address represents your network across the wider internet.

Public IP vs. Private IP Address: What Is the Difference?

Every home or office network uses two distinct types of IP addresses: a public IP address and a private IP address. Understanding this distinction explains why your local Wi-Fi IP address differs from what websites detect online:

  • Public IP (External): Assigned directly to your modem or router by your ISP. It is globally routable, meaning any server on the public internet can locate and deliver data to it.
  • Private IP (Internal): Assigned by your local router to devices within your network (often starting with 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x). It cannot be reached directly from the outside internet.

Public vs. Private IP Comparison

Comparison of external internet addresses and internal local network addresses.

Network PropertyPublic IP AddressPrivate (Local) IP Address
Assigned ByInternet Service Provider (ISP)Local router via DHCP
Scope of ReachGlobally unique across the internetLocal network only (home, office, Wi-Fi)
Standard Address RangesGlobally routable IPv4 and IPv6 blocks192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x
External VisibilityVisible to websites, servers, and online peersHidden behind router NAT (Network Address Translation)
Primary RoleRoutes packets between your modem and the internetRoutes traffic between laptops, phones, and smart devices

How to Check Your IP Address on Any Device

Depending on whether you need your public internet address or your local device address, you can find your IP using these methods:

  • Check Public IP (Any Browser): Load this page to view your live public IPv4 or IPv6 address, ISP, and location without entering any commands.
  • Windows (Local IP): Press Win + R, type cmd, hit Enter, and run ipconfig. Look for the IPv4 Address under your connected network adapter.
  • macOS (Local IP): Open System Settings > Wi-Fi, select Details next to your active network, or run ipconfig getifaddr en0 in Terminal.
  • Linux (Local IP): Open a terminal shell and run ip addr show or hostname -I.
  • iOS & Android (Local IP): Go to Settings > Wi-Fi, tap your connected network name, and scroll to the IP Address field.

IPv4 vs. IPv6: Protocol Architecture

IPv4 has anchored internet communications since 1983. It uses a 32-bit format arranged in four decimal octets separated by periods, yielding roughly 4.3 billion unique addresses. As the number of smartphones, servers, and connected household devices expanded, the available IPv4 pool became exhausted.

IPv6 addresses this limitation using a 128-bit structure expressed in eight colon-separated hexadecimal groups. This expands the address pool to 340 undecillion possibilities, removing the need for complex NAT workarounds, simplifying packet headers, and adding native support for end-to-end IPsec encryption.

IPv4 vs. IPv6 Comparison

Key technical differences between Internet Protocol Version 4 and Version 6.

Networking FeatureIPv4 ProtocolIPv6 Protocol
Address Length32-bit binary number (4 bytes)128-bit binary number (16 bytes)
Total Address Pool~4.3 billion unique addresses (exhausted)~340 undecillion addresses (virtually limitless)
Notation FormatDotted-decimal (e.g., 203.0.113.1)Hexadecimal colon-separated (e.g., 2001:0db8::1)
Configuration MethodManual configuration or DHCP serverStateless Address Auto-Configuration (SLAAC) or DHCPv6
Built-in Security (IPsec)Optional add-on protocolNative integrated security requirement
Packet Routing & HeadersVariable header length (20-60 bytes)Simplified fixed 40-byte header

Why Check and Monitor Your IP Address?

Monitoring your public IP helps safeguard network privacy, configure secure firewalls, and troubleshoot connectivity.

Verify Public IP Exposure

Check your external IP address to see what network identifiers, ISP data, and geographic regions are visible to websites and services you connect to.

Whitelist Remote Access

Find your current public IP address to configure firewall allowlists for SSH gateways, remote desktop environments, and cloud database clusters.

Confirm VPN & Proxy Masking

Verify that your VPN tunnel or proxy server is active and masking your real residential IP without unexpected DNS or location leaks.

Troubleshoot ISP Routing & Latency

Examine your ASN and regional gateway to diagnose routing loops, regional content blocks, and unexpected latency spikes in online applications.

Inspect Complete Connection Data

View network metadata including Autonomous System Number (ASN), ISP organization, approximate coordinates, and time zone details in one place.

Fast & Private Lookup

Retrieve your IPv4 and IPv6 connection parameters instantly in your browser without tracking cookies or server-side session logging.

Clear answers to common questions about public IP addresses, geolocation, IPv4 vs. IPv6, and network privacy.

What Is My IP Address FAQs

When you load this page, your web browser sends an HTTP request to our server. Our tool reads the public IP header attached to that incoming connection and matches it against geolocation databases to identify your ISP, city, country, region, and routing details in real time.
Your public IP address is assigned by your Internet Service Provider and represents your entire network on the open internet. Your private IP address (such as 192.168.1.10) is assigned by your local router to differentiate your computer, phone, or tablet within your home network.
No. An IP address only identifies your general geographic area, such as your city, state, postal code zone, and ISP routing gateway. It does not pinpoint your physical street address, building number, or real-name identity.
Most residential internet providers allocate dynamic IP addresses from a shared pool to optimize network resources. Your public IP may refresh when your router restarts, during routine ISP maintenance, or after a network lease expiration.
Check your IP on this page with your VPN turned off to view your real ISP and location. Then connect to your VPN and refresh the page. If the lookup displays the VPN server location and a different ISP without showing your original address, your traffic is properly masked.
IP geolocation identifies the data center or regional central office where your ISP aggregates and routes your traffic to the wider internet. If your provider routes traffic through a hub in a neighboring city, that location will appear on lookup maps.
Yes. Networks running dual-stack configurations assign both an IPv4 address and an IPv6 address to your connection. This allows your device to communicate with older IPv4 servers while taking advantage of modern IPv6 routing.
No. An IP lookup only identifies the public IP address making the connection. It does not scan your router for open ports or assess firewall configurations. Open ports require a dedicated network port scanner.
Yes. Every device connected to the same Wi-Fi router shares one public IP on the internet through Network Address Translation (NAT). However, each device maintains a unique private IP on the local network.
No. Browser cache, cookies, and browsing history only store temporary files on your local machine. Your IP address is tied to your internet connection and ISP routing, not your browser storage.
Yes. Your IP address is resolved in real time solely to display your connection data on your screen. We do not store, log, or track your IP address or geolocation details.
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Disclaimer
The information provided by this IP lookup tool is gathered from publicly accessible network routing tables and IP geolocation databases. Geographic accuracy reflects the nearest ISP data center or routing gateway.