What Is My IP Address?

What Is My IP Address?

Your IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique number assigned to your device by your internet service provider. Every time you visit a website or stream a video, the receiving server sees this address. Think of it as your device’s return address on the internet.

The tool above shows the public IP address that websites and online services can see when you connect. If you are using a VPN, it shows the VPN server‘s address instead of your real one.

What Your IP Address Reveals

• Approximate location – typically accurate to city level, sometimes only to region or country.
• Your ISP – the company providing your internet connection (e.g., Comcast, BT, Vodafone, Jio).
• Network type – whether you are on residential broadband, mobile data, a datacenter, or a known VPN provider.
• Connection characteristics – the ASN (Autonomous System Number) identifies the specific network operator.

Your IP address does not reveal your exact street address, your name, or your browsing history. However, it can be combined with other data to build a profile over time.

Public vs Private IP Addresses

Your public IP is the address the internet sees. It is assigned by your ISP and shared across the open web. Your private IP (like 192.168.1.x or 10.0.0.x) is used only within your local network – your router, your devices, your printer. Private IPs are not visible to websites.

Most home networks use a single public IP for all devices, with the router translating between public and private addresses using NAT (Network Address Translation).

IPv4 vs IPv6

IPv4 addresses look like 192.0.2.1 – four groups of numbers separated by dots. There are roughly 4.3 billion possible IPv4 addresses, and they are nearly exhausted.

IPv6 addresses look like 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334 – eight groups of hexadecimal numbers separated by colons. IPv6 provides a virtually unlimited address space. Many ISPs now assign both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, known as “dual-stack” configuration.

If you are using a VPN, check whether both your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses are covered. Some VPNs only tunnel IPv4 traffic, leaving your real IPv6 address exposed – this is called an IPv6 leak.

Why IP Location Can Be Wrong

IP geolocation databases map IP address ranges to geographic locations, but this mapping is imperfect. Common reasons your detected location might be off:

• ISP routing – your ISP may route your traffic through a hub in a different city.
• Mobile networks – cellular IPs are often registered to the carrier’s regional headquarters, not your physical location.
• VPNs and proxies – the location shown is the server’s location, not yours.
• Stale database entries – IP address blocks change hands, and geolocation databases take time to update.

How to Hide Your IP Address

1. Use a VPN – a Virtual Private Network encrypts your traffic and replaces your IP with the VPN server’s address. This is the most popular and practical method for everyday use. See our VPN recommendations.
2. Use Tor – the Tor network routes your traffic through multiple volunteer-operated relays around the world. It provides strong anonymity but is significantly slower than a VPN.
3. Use a proxy server – proxies hide your IP address but typically do not encrypt your traffic. They are useful for specific tasks but less secure than a VPN for general browsing.

Note that hiding your IP address is just one layer of online privacy. Websites can also use browser fingerprinting – analyzing your screen resolution, installed fonts, and other browser characteristics – to identify you even without your IP. A good VPN addresses the most common tracking method, but complete anonymity requires additional measures.

How to Test Whether Your VPN Is Leaking

Checking your IP address is a good first step, but a thorough VPN test should also check for DNS leaks and WebRTC leaks. DNS leaks can expose which websites you visit even when your IP is hidden. WebRTC leaks can reveal your real IP through a browser technology designed for real-time communication like video calls.

Run our full VPN leak test to check all three attack vectors in one scan.