What Is My IP Address?

What is a public IP address?

A public IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique numerical identifier assigned to your internet connection by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Every device that connects to the internet has a public IP address — it is the address that websites, servers, and online services see when you visit them.

Your public IP address is different from your private IP address. Your private IP address is assigned by your router and is only visible within your local network (for example, 192.168.1.10). Your public IP address is assigned by your ISP and is visible to the entire internet.

IPv4 vs IPv6

There are two versions of IP addresses in use today. IPv4 addresses use a 32-bit format expressed as four numbers separated by dots (e.g. 93.47.128.201), supporting approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses. Due to the exhaustion of available IPv4 addresses, IPv6 was introduced, using a 128-bit format expressed in hexadecimal groups separated by colons, supporting a virtually unlimited number of unique addresses.

Most modern devices and ISPs support both IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously — a configuration known as dual-stack.

What does your IP address reveal?

Your IP address reveals the following information to websites and online services you visit:

• Approximate location — typically accurate to your city or region, not your precise street address
• Internet Service Provider (ISP) — the company providing your internet connection
• Autonomous System Number (ASN) — the network your ISP operates on
• Connection type — whether you are on a residential, business, mobile, or hosting network
• Whether you are using a VPN or proxy — IP addresses associated with known VPN providers can be detected

Your IP address does not reveal your exact home address, your name, your phone number, or any other personally identifiable information beyond what is listed above.

Is my IP address static or dynamic?

Most residential internet connections use a dynamic IP address — an address that may change each time you reconnect to the internet or at regular intervals set by your ISP. This means your IP address today may be different from your IP address tomorrow.

Business connections and some premium residential plans may use a static IP address — one that stays the same permanently. Static IP addresses are useful for hosting servers, remote access, and other applications that require a fixed address.

Mobile data connections typically assign a new IP address each session, and the addresses are often shared among multiple users through carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), making individual identification more difficult.

How to hide or change your IP address

There are several effective methods to hide or change your public IP address:

• VPN (Virtual Private Network) — the most popular and effective method. A VPN encrypts your traffic and routes it through a server in another location, replacing your real IP with the VPN server's IP. Reputable VPN providers include NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Mullvad, and ProtonVPN.
• Proxy server — routes your traffic through an intermediary server without encryption. Faster than a VPN but less secure.
• Tor network — routes your traffic through multiple encrypted relays for maximum anonymity, at the cost of slower speeds. Free to use via the Tor Browser.
• Mobile data — switching from Wi-Fi to a mobile data connection gives you a different IP address assigned by your mobile carrier.

After setting up a VPN or proxy, use our VPN detection tool to verify that your real IP address is no longer visible.

Why is my IP address showing the wrong location?

IP-based geolocation is an approximation, not a precise GPS location. Your IP address may show an incorrect city or region for several reasons:

• Your ISP routes traffic through a hub in a different city or region
• You are using a VPN or proxy server (which shows the server's location, not yours)
• You are on a mobile data connection (mobile IPs are often geolocated to the carrier's headquarters)
• You are on a corporate or university network with centralised routing
• The geolocation database has outdated records for your IP range

If the location shown is significantly incorrect and you are not using a VPN, it is most likely due to your ISP's network routing. This is normal and does not indicate any security issue.

Can someone find me using my IP address?

While your IP address does reveal your approximate location, it is not possible for a regular internet user to find your precise home address using only your IP address. Identifying the exact subscriber associated with an IP address typically requires a formal legal request (such as a court order) to the ISP.

Law enforcement agencies can request this information from ISPs as part of investigations. However, ordinary websites and individuals cannot access this subscriber information.

If you are concerned about your online privacy, using a VPN is the most practical way to prevent websites from identifying your real IP address and approximate location.