An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a uniquely-identifying string of numbers assigned to each Internet-connected device or any device connected to a network. The address identifies and allows these devices to communicate with each other, either on an internal or external computer network.
Any device that transmits or receives network traffic gets an IP. 192.168.10.1 is an IP address example; any device with that IP can communicate with other devices across the same network. All governing devices, whether DHCP server, router, or Internet service provider, all use some sort of IP address management (IPAM) to prevent the assignment of the same Internet Protocol address to multiple devices. When there exists two devices with the same IP on the same network, an IP conflict prevents data from correct transmission and reception on these devices.
Your Internet activity then goes through your Internet service provider and routes back to you via the IP address assigned to you. Your address isn't permanent, though; it can change based on your connection and the network you choose to connect to. It works, theoretically, as a digital version of your home address. It’s like how you need a home address to receive mail, and the sender must have your correct home number and zip code; you need an Internet Protocol address to connect to the Internet, and any device trying to connect to yours needs the proper IP for a successful connection.
An IP can indicate which Internet service provider you use and your Internet speed. It also reveals information about your general location. It could indicate your country, state, city, or postal region. However, you can’t find someone’s exact location from their IP. The information is intended for other devices and networks to identify your device, not for others to track you down.
A private IP address is an IP assigned to devices on private networks. These types of IPs, also referred to as local IP addresses or internal IP addresses, are used on local area networks (LANs) like your home network. They usually begin with 10, 172, or 192, which are in classes A, B, and C, respectively. These blocks are reserved for private IP addresses only by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
There are two types of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6. Originally, private IP addresses were created to help delay the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses, as there is a limited number of IPv4 addresses. But even with the theoretical 4,294,967,296 addresses created by the 32-bit system, IPv4 address space began to run low with the amount of new Internet-connected devices that came into businesses and homes.
Thus, private IP addresses allow private networks to use the same IP addresses internally without causing conflicts for public IP addresses. Though IPv6 addresses ended up being the solution to IPv4 exhaustion, the private IP address system still exists for internal networks.
Our homepage shows you your public IP address above. You’ll see the IPv4 and, if available, the IPv6 assigned by your Internet service provider (ISP). Your public IP address is the IP that is logged when you visit websites or use any other services on the Internet. It differs from your private IP address, which varies by individual device as each device is assigned a private IP address.
If you want to find your private IP address on another device, like your phone or computer, you can follow our guides.
Your local or private IP address is assigned to your device, typically by your router. The router assigns local IP addresses to devices on a network that connect to WiFi. Because of this, your private IP address will vary by device and by network.
The homepage shows your public IP address, but if you want to find your private IP address, you can follow our guides below.
Yes, you can find the location of an IP address in most cases. However, the location may not always be accurate. Locational data for IP address geolocation varies based on the database. Though the information is generally accurate at pinpointing an IP’s country and city, it can’t tell you an exact street address.
Essentially, the accuracy decreases as the map narrows; an IP location search can bring up the continent, country, city, zip code, and time zone of an address, but it can’t get more specific than that. If you need to find someone’s exact address, looking up their location may not get you as far as you need to go.
Use the IP address lookup tool to gather location information about an IP address.
In short, no – you don’t need to worry about your exact location being found through your IP address. Though IP addresses, by design, can be tracked, the purpose is to indicate your location to Internet service providers and other devices when you're accessing the Internet. Without this service, they wouldn’t be able to serve their purpose. However, this doesn’t mean that someone can track you by your IP address.
If someone was able to get your IP address, they could learn a bit about your Internet service, such as which provider you use to connect to the Internet, but they really can't locate you, your home, or your office. Your IP address doesn’t contain the information necessary to reveal your exact physical location to anyone who may attempt to trace your IP address and find you. In some circumstances, a person may be able to locate the city or general area you’re in. But they can’t get your physical address; though your IP address links to a geographical location, it’s not specific enough to find you. Anyone tracing your IP address could only get to your Internet service provider.
If you want to know how to find someone with IP address information, you'll still find helpful data from the address. An IP address does contain some geographical location information. In some cases, an IP address indicates the country, state, city, or zip code where a device is located. It also tells others the identity of your ISP. However, even with that information, your IP address doesn’t reveal enough to pinpoint your location, your personal information, or put you in any danger.