Understand your public IP address
What is a public IP address?
A public IP address identifies your internet connection when it communicates with websites and online services. It is usually assigned by your ISP, mobile carrier, workplace or VPN provider.
IPv4 and IPv6
IPv4 uses shorter dotted addresses, while IPv6 provides a vastly larger address space. A modern connection may support both protocols at the same time, which is known as dual stack.
Why can my IP address change?
Many providers assign dynamic addresses. Reconnecting, changing Wi-Fi, using mobile data, switching networks or enabling a VPN can change the public IP that websites see.
What can an IP address reveal?
An IP address can usually indicate the provider, network owner and an approximate region. It normally does not reveal an exact home address, a person's name or a device's precise location.
How IP address lookup works
An IP lookup matches a public IPv4 or IPv6 address with routing and registration data. It can identify the ISP, autonomous system, network organization and an approximate service area, but it is not GPS tracking.
ISP and ASN lookup
An autonomous system number, or ASN, identifies the network that announces an IP range to the internet. ISP and ASN details help distinguish residential, mobile, business, cloud and content-delivery networks.
Reverse DNS and hostnames
Reverse DNS asks whether the network owner has assigned a hostname to an IP address. A missing hostname is normal, and a hostname does not prove who operates the device using the address.
VPN, proxy and hosting signals
Network intelligence can indicate whether an address is associated with VPN, proxy, Tor, relay, hosting or other network services. These are address-level signals and must not be treated as proof about an individual user.