What Is My IP

Our What Is My IP tool is designed to display your devices’ public IP address and show any additional details that can be obtained from geolocation services for your IP address.

What is an IP address?

An Internet Protocol address, or IP address for short, is a unique label assigned to each device connected to a computer network.  It is a form of a digital address that identifies devices participating in a network and allows them to find and communicate with each other. To understand IP-based network communication, picture the Internet as a vast postal system. Each device, like a house or business, has a unique mailing address - the IP address. When you want to visit a website (send a letter), your device includes its return address (IP address) in the request (letter). The website's server (your respondent) uses this address to send the requested content (response letter) back to your device.

How can websites determine my IP address?

When you visit a website, your device sends a request to the website's server to fetch content. Think of this request as a letter sent to a friend. Just as a return address is needed on the letter, your device's IP address is included in the request to the website's server. The website's server uses this information to send the requested content back to your device, completing the digital correspondence.

What is a public IP address?

Your public IP address is the address your device uses to communicate over the Internet. It's assigned to your cable modem or router by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is visible to websites you visit. In a postal analogy, it's similar to the address on the envelope that lets the mail carrier know where to deliver your letter. Multiple devices on a local network may use the same public IP when communication over the Internet.

What is a private IP address?

A private IP address is used within a local network, such as your home or office. Devices on the same network use these addresses to communicate internally. It's similar to how mail travels within a company's internal mail system that uses only room numbers as addresses. Common private IP address ranges include 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255, 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255, 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 for IPv4.