What Is an IP Address?
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique numerical label assigned to every device connected to the internet. It serves two primary purposes: identifying your device on the network and providing a location reference for routing data. Think of it as your device's return address — every time you visit a website, your public IP address is shared so the server knows where to send data back.
There are two types of IP addresses you should know about. Your public IP address is assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is visible to every website, server, and online service you connect to. It's the address that identifies your internet connection to the outside world. Your private IP address (like 192.168.1.x or 10.0.0.x) is used within your local network — your router, laptop, phone, and smart devices each have one, but they are not visible on the internet.
Our free IP checker instantly detects and displays your public IP address, along with detailed information including your ISP, organization, ASN, geographic location, timezone, and browser details. Whether you need to find your IP for server configuration, verify your VPN is working, or simply want to check your IP address, the tool auto-detects everything on page load. For deeper IP analysis, use our IP Lookup tool to look up any IP address, or our Domain to IP tool to find the IP of any website.
How IP Address Detection Works
Our IP address detection tool identifies your public IP through a four-step process that completes in under a second:
You Visit This Page
When your browser loads this page, it sends an HTTP request to our server. Your public IP address is automatically included in the connection headers — this is how the internet works for every website you visit.
Server Detects Your IP
Our server reads your public IP address from the connection. We detect both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses when available using dual-stack detection through ipify (api4.ipify.org and api6.ipify.org).
Geolocation Lookup
Your IP is looked up against IPinfo and ip-api geolocation databases. These databases map IP ranges to their registered owners, returning your ISP, organization, ASN, city, country, timezone, and coordinates.
Results Displayed
All detected information is displayed instantly — IP addresses, ISP details, location, and browser information. Copy individual fields or all data at once. Refresh anytime to re-detect.
Understanding Your IP Information
When you check your IP with our tool, the following information is detected from your public IP address and browser:
IPv4 Address
Your 32-bit public IP address in dotted-decimal format (e.g., 203.0.113.42). This is the address most websites see when you connect. Nearly all internet connections have an IPv4 address.
IPv6 Address
Your 128-bit IPv6 address if your ISP supports it (e.g., 2001:db8::1). IPv6 provides virtually unlimited addresses. If not detected, your ISP hasn't deployed IPv6 on your connection yet.
ISP & ASN
Your Internet Service Provider name and Autonomous System Number. The ISP is the company providing your internet (e.g., Comcast, AT&T). The ASN identifies their network in the global routing table.
Geographic Location
Approximate location based on IP geolocation — city, region/state, country, postal code, and coordinates. Accuracy varies: city-level is 50-80%, country is 99%+. Shows your ISP's regional hub.
Timezone
Your local timezone as detected from IP geolocation (e.g., America/New_York, Europe/London). Useful for confirming your VPN server's timezone matches the expected exit location.
Browser & System
Your browser name and version, operating system, screen resolution, and full user agent string. Detected client-side from your browser — useful for debugging and compatibility checks.
IPv4 vs IPv6: Understanding IP Address Versions
Our IP checker detects both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses when available. Understanding the difference between these two protocol versions helps you troubleshoot connectivity issues and assess your network configuration.
IPv4 (Internet Protocol v4)
- 32-bit addresses (e.g., 203.0.113.42)
- ~4.3 billion unique addresses
- Universally supported by all ISPs
- Dotted-decimal format (four octets)
- Address pool nearly exhausted globally
- Uses NAT for address sharing
IPv6 (Internet Protocol v6)
- 128-bit addresses (e.g., 2001:db8::1)
- 340 undecillion unique addresses
- Built-in IPsec security
- No NAT needed — end-to-end connectivity
- Hexadecimal colon notation
- Not yet supported by all ISPs
If our tool detects both IPv4 and IPv6, your ISP supports dual-stack networking — the recommended configuration for modern internet connectivity. If only IPv4 appears, your ISP hasn't deployed IPv6 on your connection. Use our DNS Lookup tool to check if a domain has both A (IPv4) and AAAA (IPv6) records.
Public vs Private IP Addresses
Understanding the difference between public and private IP addresses is essential for network troubleshooting and security. Our tool shows your public IP — the address visible to the internet.
Public IP Address
- Assigned by your ISP
- Visible to every website you visit
- Globally unique on the internet
- Usually changes (dynamic IP)
- Reveals ISP and approximate location
Private IP Address
- Used within your local network
- Not visible on the internet
- Ranges: 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, 172.16-31.x.x
- Assigned by your router via DHCP
- Reused across millions of networks
Your router uses NAT (Network Address Translation) to connect all your private-IP devices through a single public IP address. This is why every device on your home network shares the same public IP when browsing the internet, even though each has a different private IP locally.
IP Address and Online Privacy
Your IP address is shared with every website and service you connect to. Understanding what it reveals — and what it doesn't — helps you make informed decisions about your online privacy.
What Your IP Reveals
- Your ISP (Internet Service Provider)
- Approximate city and country
- Network type (residential, mobile, hosting)
- ASN and organization name
- Timezone and regional information
What Your IP Does NOT Reveal
- Your exact street address or home location
- Your name, email, or phone number
- Your browsing history or search queries
- Content of encrypted (HTTPS) connections
- Other devices on your local network
Privacy Tools to Mask Your IP
Encrypts all traffic and replaces your IP with the VPN server's IP. Best for daily use. Verify it works with this IP checker.
Routes traffic through an intermediary. Only covers specific apps or browsers. May leak DNS queries.
Routes through multiple volunteer nodes for maximum anonymity. Very slow but most private option.
To verify your VPN is working, check this page before and after connecting. With a VPN active, you should see the VPN server's IP and location instead of your real ones. Also check with our What Is My ISP tool — your ISP name should show the VPN provider, not your real ISP. Verify both IPv4 and IPv6 — some VPNs only tunnel IPv4, leaving IPv6 exposed.
Common Uses for IP Address Detection
Knowing your public IP address is useful for a wide range of networking, security, and development tasks:
VPN Verification
Confirm your VPN is working by checking that the displayed IP matches your VPN server, not your real ISP.
Network Troubleshooting
Identify connectivity issues, check if your IP has changed, or diagnose routing problems with your ISP.
Server Configuration
Find your public IP for firewall rules, SSH whitelisting, DNS records, API access lists, and security groups.
Security Auditing
Check what information websites can detect about your connection — IP, ISP, location, and browser details.
Geo-Content Testing
Verify which geographic region you appear to be in for testing location-based content, pricing, or restrictions.
Firewall & Access Rules
Get your current IP for configuring server firewalls, cloud security groups, or IP-based access control lists.
Related Network & IP Tools
Complement your IP check with these free network and DNS tools:
Detect your Internet Service Provider, ASN, organization, and connection details.
Look up detailed information for any IP address — geolocation, ISP, ASN, and organization.
Find the hostname (PTR record) associated with any IP address.
Find the IP address (IPv4 & IPv6) of any domain or website.
Test network latency and connectivity to any host with ICMP ping.
Trace the network path between you and any server, hop by hop.
Check if specific ports are open or closed on any server or IP address.
Check all DNS records (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, TXT) for any domain.
Frequently Asked Questions About IP Addresses
What is my IP address?
Your IP address is a unique number assigned to your device by your ISP. It identifies your connection on the internet. This page auto-detects your public IP (both IPv4 and IPv6), ISP, location, and browser details — no input required.
What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses (e.g., 192.168.1.1) with ~4.3 billion possible addresses. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses (e.g., 2001:db8::1) with virtually unlimited addresses. Our tool detects both when available.
Can someone find my exact location from my IP?
No. IP geolocation only reveals your approximate city or ISP regional hub, not your exact address. City accuracy is 50-80%, country accuracy is 99%+. Use a VPN to mask your real location.
Why does my IP address change?
Most residential connections use dynamic IPs that change when you restart your router or when your ISP's DHCP lease expires (every 24-72 hours). Business connections often use static IPs.
How can I hide my IP address?
Use a VPN (recommended for daily use — encrypts all traffic), a proxy server (covers specific traffic only), or Tor Browser (maximum anonymity, very slow). Verify with this tool.
What is a public vs private IP address?
Your public IP is assigned by your ISP and visible to websites. Your private IP (192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x) is used on your local network. Your router uses NAT to connect private IPs through one public IP.
Why does this tool show a different IP than expected?
If you're using a VPN, proxy, or corporate network, you'll see their IP instead. This confirms your privacy tool is working. Without a VPN, try refreshing — your ISP may have rotated your dynamic IP.
What is an ISP and ASN?
ISP (Internet Service Provider) is your internet company (e.g., Comcast, AT&T). ASN (Autonomous System Number) is a unique network identifier used for BGP routing. Google is AS15169, Cloudflare is AS13335.
Is this IP checker tool free?
Yes, 100% free with no registration or limits. Your IP is detected automatically on page load. We don't store, log, or share your IP address or any detected information.
Does my IP address reveal my identity?
Your IP alone doesn't reveal your name, email, or exact address. It shows your ISP, approximate city, and network type. Only your ISP can link an IP to a subscriber — and only with a court order.
How do I find my IP address?
Visit this page — your public IP is auto-detected on load. Alternatively, use 'curl ifconfig.me' in terminal for your public IP, or 'ipconfig' (Windows) / 'ifconfig' (Mac/Linux) for your private IP. Our tool shows both IPv4 and IPv6 with ISP, location, and browser details.