Understanding Your IP Address
Your public IP address is the address websites see when you connect, assigned by your internet provider to your connection. It is either IPv4, four numbers from 0 to 255 such as 203.0.113.7, or IPv6, eight groups of hexadecimal such as 2001:db8::1. The box above shows the one your browser used, plus the approximate location and provider linked to it.
Your IP (Internet Protocol) address is the number your Internet Service Provider assigns to your connection. At home it usually belongs to your router, and every device on your network shares it. It identifies your connection on the internet the same way a postal address identifies a physical location. Every website you visit can see your IP address.
Most home connections use dynamic IP addresses that change periodically. Businesses and servers typically use static IPs that remain fixed. Your IP can appear different if you use a VPN, proxy, or connect from different networks.
What Does Your IP Reveal?
Approximate Location
ISP & Network
IPv4 vs IPv6
VPN & Privacy
Where This Page Gets Your IP Details
When the page loads, your browser sends a request to ipapi.co, an IP geolocation service. To answer, ipapi.co necessarily sees your IP address; it returns the address along with the city, region, provider (ISP), ASN and time zone that its database links to it. If ipapi.co does not answer, for example because its free limit has been reached or a blocker stops it, the page asks ipify (api.ipify.org) for the bare IPv4 address instead, without location details.
The "Your Browser & Connection" panel is read directly from your browser and is not sent anywhere by this page. This page does not save your IP. As with any website, our hosting server and the advertising network also receive your IP when the page loads, because that is how a web page reaches your screen.
- Location is an estimate. It comes from a database of address blocks, not from GPS, and is often the city of your provider's equipment rather than your home.
- No VPN test. The page shows the IP websites see. If you use a VPN, that is the VPN server's address, but the page does not try to detect VPNs or proxies.
- One address at a time. On a dual-stack connection you have both an IPv4 and an IPv6 address; the page shows whichever your browser used to reach ipapi.co, usually IPv6.
IPv4 vs IPv6 at a Glance
| Feature | IPv4 | IPv6 |
|---|---|---|
| Address length | 32 bits | 128 bits |
| Possible addresses | 4,294,967,296 (about 4.3 billion) | about 3.4 × 1038 |
| Written as | 4 decimal numbers 0 to 255, dots | 8 groups of 4 hex digits, colons |
| Example (documentation range) | 203.0.113.7 | 2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334 |
| Shortening | none | leading zeros dropped, one run of zero groups becomes :: |
| Loopback (this device) | 127.0.0.1 | ::1 |
| Home network | one public address shared through NAT | usually a whole block, each device gets its own public address |
| Defined in | RFC 791 (1981) | RFC 8200 (2017), first specified 1995 |
Because IPv4 ran out, many mobile and some home providers put several customers behind one public IPv4 address (carrier-grade NAT). IPv6 avoids that, which is why phones on 5G networks very often show an IPv6 address here.
Private and Special Address Ranges
If a device shows one of these addresses, it is not your public IP. These ranges are reserved and never used as public addresses on the internet.
| Range | Used for | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| 10.0.0.0/8 (10.x.x.x) | Private networks, large offices | RFC 1918 |
| 172.16.0.0/12 (172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x) | Private networks | RFC 1918 |
| 192.168.0.0/16 (192.168.x.x) | Home routers | RFC 1918 |
| 100.64.0.0/10 | Carrier-grade NAT inside a provider's network | RFC 6598 |
| 169.254.0.0/16 | Self-assigned when no router answers (a sign of a DHCP problem) | RFC 3927 |
| 127.0.0.0/8 | Loopback, the device itself | RFC 1122 |
| fc00::/7 (usually fd00::) | Private IPv6 (unique local addresses) | RFC 4193 |
| fe80::/10 | IPv6 link-local, every interface has one | RFC 4291 |
If your router's status page shows a WAN address in 100.64.0.0/10 that differs from the IP above, your provider uses carrier-grade NAT, and port forwarding for games or cameras will not work without asking the provider for a public address.
Frequently Asked Questions
ipconfig, look for "IPv4 Address" under your active adapter. On Mac/Linux: open Terminal and type ifconfig or ip addr. These show your private IP. For your public IP, the simplest method is to search "what is my ip" in any browser, or visit any IP lookup tool. Your router admin panel (usually at 192.168.1.1) also shows the public IP assigned by your ISP.