Who is my ISP
What Is My IP Address?
- Your IP is: Checking...
Your IP address is how the internet identifies your connection. It tells websites where to send the data you ask for, and it is the first thing a support technician asks about when there is a problem. Below you can see your public IP, and further down we explain how IP addresses work, how to find yours on any device, and what it reveals about you.
What is an IP address?
An IP address is a set of unique numbers assigned to every device connected to the internet or a network. These addresses can be categorized as static, dynamic, public, or private. They enable devices to communicate with each other, whether on an internal or external network. Essentially, any device that sends or receives network traffic is assigned an IP address.
Two versions are in use today:
- IPv4 is the classic format, like 203.0.113.7. It uses 32 bits, which allows about 4.3 billion addresses. Because the world ran out of those, addresses get reused everywhere: your router shares one public address among your devices, and many ISPs also share one address among several customers, a technique called carrier-grade NAT.
- IPv6 is the newer format, like 2001:db8::1. It uses 128 bits, so there is room for a practically unlimited number of devices. Adoption is growing, and many connections now have both types at once.
Static vs. dynamic IP addresses
A dynamic IP address changes from time to time and is what most home connections get: the ISP lends you an address from its pool, and it may change after a router restart or after some time. A static IP address stays the same, which makes hosting servers and remote access easier. Static addresses are common on business plans and optional on some home plans.
What is a private IP address?
A private IP address is typically in the ranges 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x, or 192.168.x.x. These IP addresses are reserved for private networks and are not used on the public internet.
Private IP addresses are also known as local or internal IP addresses and are used on local area networks (LANs) such as your home WiFi network. Your router assigns these addresses to your devices and translates them into the single public IP address that the rest of the internet sees.
How to find your public IP address
The fastest way is the live result at the top of this page: it always shows the public address of your current connection. If you need to check from somewhere else, you have a few options:
- Search for "what is my ip" on Google; the answer is shown directly in the results.
- Open your router's admin page and look for the WAN or Internet address, which is the IP given to you by your ISP.
- On Windows, run ipconfig in Command Prompt to see your local addresses. On macOS or Linux, ifconfig or ip addr shows the same.
- In a terminal, curl ifconfig.me returns your public IP as plain text.
Note that commands like ipconfig usually show your private IP. To see the public address, a website lookup is the easiest option. If you are also unsure who your provider is, our guide on how to find your ISP walks through every method.
What does your IP address reveal?
Your IP address reveals more than you might think, but less than many people fear:
- Your ISP. Every public IP belongs to a network, and that network is usually your internet provider. Check yours with our Who Is My ISP tool.
- An approximate location. IP databases map addresses to a city or region, often the provider's nearest hub. That is why the result can point to a nearby town instead of your street.
- A network identifier. Technically, every IP is tied to an autonomous system number (ASN) that the internet uses for routing.
What a stranger cannot get from your IP address is your name, email, or home address. Only your ISP can match an IP to a customer account, and they do not share that publicly.
Can someone locate me using my IP address?
Yes and no. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) knows your exact location, but they do not disclose this information without proper authorization. A stranger on the internet cannot locate you with just your IP address. You can use our "What is my ISP" tool to find out your internet provider or read more about ISPs here.
How to change or hide your IP address
You can change the IP address that websites see in a few ways:
- Use a VPN. A VPN routes your traffic through its own server, so websites see that server's address instead of yours. Read more about what a VPN is and how it works.
- Restart your router. On many home connections this is enough to receive a new dynamic IP from your ISP.
- Use a proxy or mobile hotspot. Both change the address the destination sees, but a proxy offers far less protection than a VPN.
Keep in mind that changing your IP changes what the internet sees, not what your provider knows. Your ISP can still see your traffic unless it is encrypted, for example by a VPN.