IP Address Lookup — Find Your IP & Geolocation Online
The free IP Address Lookup tool shows your public IP address and geolocation the moment you open it — city, region, country, ISP, and timezone. You can also look up any IPv4 or IPv6 address. No signup, no software required.
What Is an IP Address?
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a numerical label assigned to every device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. IP addresses serve two principal functions: network interface identification (which device you are) and location addressing (how to reach that device on the network).
Your public IP address is the address your ISP assigns to your router — the address that websites, servers, and services see when you connect to them from the internet. Everyone in your household or office sharing the same internet connection shares the same public IP address.
Your private IP address is the address your router assigns to your specific device within your local network (typically something like 192.168.1.45). Private IP addresses are not visible from the internet — they are translated to your public IP by your router using Network Address Translation (NAT).
IPv4 — The Original Internet Protocol
IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) was defined in 1981 in RFC 791. IPv4 addresses are 32-bit numbers written as four decimal octets separated by dots — for example,203.0.113.45. This format can represent approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses (2^32 = 4,294,967,296).
The internet ran out of unallocated IPv4 addresses in 2011, when IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) allocated the last blocks to regional registries. ISPs have been managing this shortage through several techniques: Network Address Translation (NAT), Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT), and transitioning to IPv6.
IPv4 Address Classes and Reserved Ranges
Not all IPv4 addresses are usable on the public internet. Several ranges are reserved for specific purposes:
| Range | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 10.0.0.0/8 | Private network (Class A) | Corporate networks, large private LANs |
| 172.16.0.0/12 | Private network (Class B) | Docker default bridge, some corporate VPNs |
| 192.168.0.0/16 | Private network (Class C) | Home routers (most common: 192.168.1.x or 192.168.0.x) |
| 127.0.0.0/8 | Loopback (localhost) | 127.0.0.1 — your own device |
| 169.254.0.0/16 | Link-local (APIPA) | Auto-assigned when DHCP fails |
| 100.64.0.0/10 | Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT) | ISP shared address space — not routable on public internet |
| 0.0.0.0/8 | Current network (source only) | Used during DHCP bootstrap |
| 255.255.255.255 | Broadcast | Reaches all devices on local network |
IPv6 — The Next Generation
IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) was developed to solve the IPv4 address exhaustion problem. IPv6 addresses are 128-bit numbers, written as eight groups of four hexadecimal digits separated by colons — for example:2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334.
The IPv6 address space provides approximately 340 undecillion addresses (340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456) — enough for every grain of sand on Earth to have its own address, with room to spare. This eliminates the need for NAT and allows every device to have a globally unique address.
| Property | IPv4 | IPv6 |
|---|---|---|
| Address length | 32 bits | 128 bits |
| Example | 203.0.113.45 | 2001:db8:85a3::8a2e:370:7334 |
| Address space | ~4.3 billion | ~340 undecillion |
| NAT required | Yes (practical necessity) | No — designed for end-to-end connectivity |
| Web adoption | ~50% of web traffic | ~50% of web traffic (varies by country) |
| Private range | 10.x, 172.16–31.x, 192.168.x | fc00::/7 (Unique Local Addresses) |
Most modern internet connections are dual-stack — they support both IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously. When you connect to a website that supports IPv6, your device will prefer IPv6 (per the "Happy Eyeballs" RFC 8305 algorithm). The lookup tool displays whichever IP address your browser is currently using to connect.
How IP Geolocation Works
IP geolocation is the process of mapping an IP address to a geographic location. This is done using databases maintained by companies like MaxMind, IPinfo, and IP2Location that correlate IP address ranges (CIDRs) with geographic data.
How geolocation databases are built
IP geolocation databases are built from multiple data sources:
- WHOIS registration data — when ISPs and organizations register IP address blocks, they provide a contact address. This provides country-level data reliably.
- BGP routing tables — Border Gateway Protocol routing data shows which autonomous systems (ISPs and organizations) advertise which IP prefixes, and from where.
- Active probing and traceroutes — network measurement tools trace the path packets take to reach an IP address, identifying geographic waypoints.
- Commercial data partnerships — geolocation companies license data from ISPs, CDNs, and other network operators who have more precise location data.
Geolocation accuracy
Geolocation accuracy varies significantly by resolution level:
| Resolution | Typical Accuracy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Country | >99% | Nearly always correct for residential connections |
| Region / State | 80–90% | Accurate for most residential ISPs |
| City | 50–80% | May show ISP infrastructure city, not your city |
| Postal code | 30–60% | Often off — ISP's regional hub, not your actual postcode |
| Street address | Not feasible | IP geolocation cannot determine street-level location |
IP geolocation is not GPS. It reflects the location of your ISP's infrastructure, which may be in a different city than your physical location. A rural user may be geolocated to the nearest city where their ISP has a point of presence.
VPN and Proxy Detection
When you connect through a VPN (Virtual Private Network), all your internet traffic routes through the VPN server. From the outside, your connection appears to originate from the VPN server's IP address and location — not your actual location.
The IP lookup tool is an essential tool for verifying your VPN is working correctly:
- Note your current IP and location before connecting to the VPN
- Connect to the VPN
- Refresh the IP lookup tool
- Verify the IP address and location have changed to the VPN server's location
If the IP address has not changed after connecting to the VPN, the VPN is not routing your traffic correctly — this is called a VPN leak. Common causes: DNS leak (DNS requests going outside the VPN tunnel), WebRTC leak (browser exposing local IP despite VPN), or an improperly configured VPN client.
Identifying VPN and data center IPs
The ISP field in the lookup tool is a useful indicator of connection type:
- Residential ISP names (BT, Comcast, Sky, Verizon, Vodafone) indicate a genuine residential connection.
- Cloud provider names (Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, OVH) indicate a VPN or proxy service hosted on cloud infrastructure — the overwhelming majority of commercial VPN services.
- VPN provider names (ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Mullvad) appear directly when the VPN provider operates its own IP address blocks.
Common Use Cases for IP Lookup
Verifying your VPN is working
Open the IP lookup tool before and after connecting to your VPN. If the IP and location change to the VPN server's location, the VPN is routing your traffic correctly. If the IP is unchanged, you have a VPN leak.
Debugging geolocation in web applications
Web applications often use IP geolocation to determine the user's country for content localization, currency selection, or access control. If you are building or debugging such a feature, the lookup tool shows exactly what location your IP would be assigned — helping you understand why the application is making specific localization decisions for your test environment.
Network troubleshooting and security
Server logs contain IP addresses of all visitors and connections. When an unusual IP appears in your logs — unexpected traffic, failed login attempts, suspicious requests — the lookup tool provides:
- The organization or ISP that owns the IP (is it a cloud provider? a residential ISP? a known hosting service?)
- The geographic region (does this match your expected user base?)
- Whether it is a data center IP (more likely to be automated traffic or a VPN)
Content restrictions and geo-blocking
Streaming services, online gambling platforms, and some content platforms restrict access by country. The IP lookup tool shows why you are seeing a geo-block — your IP address is being mapped to a country that is not permitted to access the content. Using a VPN with a server in an allowed country would change this mapping.
Email deliverability debugging
Email deliverability depends partly on the sending IP reputation. If you are sending email from a server and messages are being marked as spam, looking up the sending server's IP can reveal whether it is on a known blocklist, associated with spam-sending ISPs, or using a shared IP address range with poor reputation.
WHOIS Lookup — Who Owns an IP Block?
Beyond geolocation, every IP block has a registered owner in WHOIS databases maintained by the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs):
- ARIN — North America
- RIPE NCC — Europe, Middle East, Central Asia
- APNIC — Asia-Pacific
- LACNIC — Latin America and Caribbean
- AFRINIC — Africa
The IP lookup tool includes the ISP/Org field from the WHOIS registration data. For more detailed ownership and routing information, the registries provide public WHOIS query interfaces at their respective websites.
IPv4 vs IPv6 — What You Will See
When you open the lookup tool, the IP displayed depends on which protocol your browser uses to connect to the lookup API. In a dual-stack environment:
- Most modern browsers prefer IPv6 when both IPv4 and IPv6 are available (via the Happy Eyeballs algorithm). You may see an IPv6 address displayed even if you also have an IPv4 address.
- Some ISPs only assign IPv4 addresses. In this case, only an IPv4 address is displayed.
- Some ISPs use CGNAT (Carrier-Grade NAT), where multiple customers share a single public IPv4 address. In this case, your IPv4 geolocation may correspond to your ISP's regional gateway, not your specific area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone find my physical address from my IP?
No. IP geolocation provides the approximate location of your ISP's infrastructure, not your physical address. The city-level accuracy is typically within 50 miles for residential connections. Your actual street address cannot be determined from your IP address without cooperation from your ISP (which requires legal process in most countries).
Why does the location shown not match where I actually am?
IP geolocation reflects the location of your ISP's infrastructure, not your physical location. Common reasons for mismatch: your ISP routes traffic through a regional hub in a different city; you are using a mobile network whose gateway is far from you; or the geolocation database has not been updated with recent IP block reassignments.
Does the tool work with IPv6 addresses?
Yes. You can enter any IPv4 or IPv6 address in the lookup field. IPv6 geolocation databases are less comprehensive than IPv4 databases, so city-level accuracy for IPv6 addresses may be lower.
Can I look up what ISP or country any IP belongs to?
Yes. Enter any public IPv4 or IPv6 address in the lookup field. Private IP addresses (10.x.x.x, 192.168.x.x, etc.) cannot be geolocated — they are not routed on the public internet and have no geolocation data.
Why does the tool show a different IP than what I see on other sites?
Your device may have both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. Different lookup services may connect via different protocols, showing different addresses. If one site shows an IPv4 and another shows an IPv6, both are correct — they show different addresses that your device uses.
Look Up Your IP Now
See your public IP, geolocation, ISP, and timezone instantly — or look up any IPv4 or IPv6 address.
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