What is an IP address?

An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique numerical label assigned to every device connected to a network. It serves two main purposes: identifying the host or network interface, and providing the location of the host in the network.

IPv4 — the original format

IPv4 addresses consist of four numbers separated by dots, each ranging from 0 to 255 (e.g. 192.168.1.1). IPv4 can theoretically support about 4.3 billion unique addresses — a number that seemed enormous in the 1980s but is now insufficient given the number of connected devices worldwide.

IPv6 — the next generation

IPv6 was developed to solve the IPv4 address exhaustion problem. IPv6 addresses use 128 bits and are written in hexadecimal notation separated by colons (e.g. 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). IPv6 supports a virtually unlimited number of addresses.

Public vs private IP addresses

Your public IP address is the address assigned to you by your ISP, visible to any server you connect to on the internet. Your private IP address is assigned by your router to devices on your local network (home or office) and is not directly visible on the internet.

• Private IPv4 ranges: 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16
• Your router shares one public IP between all your devices using NAT (Network Address Translation)

Static vs dynamic IP addresses

A static IP never changes — useful for servers and remote access. A dynamic IP is reassigned periodically by your ISP — most home connections use dynamic IPs. You can check if your IP has changed by revisiting this page.

What can people know from your IP address?

Your IP address can reveal your approximate geographic location (usually city-level), your Internet Service Provider, and whether you are using a VPN, datacenter or corporate network. It cannot reveal your name, street address or exact location without additional information held by your ISP.