IP Address Lookup

Understanding IP Addresses

An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network. It serves two main functions: identifying the host or network interface, and providing the location of the host in the network.

Public vs. Private IP Addresses

There are two types of IP addresses you should know about:

• Public IP Address: This is what our tool displays. It's the address assigned to your router by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is visible to websites and online services you visit.
• Private IP Address: This is the address assigned to your device within your local network (like your home Wi-Fi) and is not visible to the outside internet.

IP Address Formats

There are two main formats for IP addresses:

• IPv4: The older format that looks like 192.168.1.1. With only about 4.3 billion possible addresses, IPv4 addresses are becoming scarce.
• IPv6: The newer format that looks like 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334. IPv6 was developed to address the shortage of IPv4 addresses and provides an almost unlimited number of unique addresses.

Privacy Considerations

Your IP address can reveal some information about you, including:

• Your approximate geographic location (usually city-level, not your exact address)
• Your Internet Service Provider
• The type of connection you're using

If you're concerned about privacy, you can use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to mask your real IP address. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through servers in different locations, showing websites a different IP address than your actual one.