Location
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Looks Like
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique numerical label assigned to every device connected to a network. It serves two main functions: identifying the host or network interface, and providing the location of the host in the network. There are two versions in use today: IPv4, written as four decimal numbers (e.g. 192.168.1.1), and IPv6, in hexadecimal notation (e.g. 2001:4860:4860::8888).
A public IP address is assigned by your ISP and is what websites see when you connect. A private IP address is used within your local network and is not routable on the public internet. Private IP ranges are 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, and 192.168.0.0/16. Your router uses NAT to share one public IP across all your devices.
IP geolocation maps IP address ranges to geographic regions using databases from regional internet registries and ISPs. It typically identifies country, region, city, ZIP, timezone, ISP, and AS number. Important: it shows the ISP infrastructure location, not your physical device. VPNs and mobile networks can cause significant discrepancies.
Your ISP is the company providing your internet connection. An AS number identifies a group of IP networks under a unified routing policy. Each ISP or large organization typically has one or more AS numbers — these are the building blocks of BGP, the protocol that routes data between networks globally.
Your IP can reveal approximate location — typically city or regional level — but not your precise address. What geolocation shows is the location of your ISP's Point of Presence, which may be far from you. For most everyday uses, an IP only narrows location down to a city or metro area, not a street.
A VPN routes your traffic through a server operated by the VPN provider, replacing your real IP with the server's IP. Websites see the VPN server's location. VPNs also encrypt traffic between your device and the server, preventing your ISP from seeing which sites you visit.
Add your IP to server allowlists before connecting via SSH, VPN, or admin panels that restrict access by IP.
Hosting a game server or setting up port forwarding requires knowing your public IP so friends can connect.
Connecting to your home or office PC remotely requires your public IP to configure RDP, VNC, or TeamViewer.
Knowing your public IP helps diagnose connectivity problems and confirm a VPN is routing traffic correctly.
Email deliverability and fraud systems evaluate your IP. Check if yours is on spam blacklists causing delivery failures.
APIs that require IP whitelisting need your exact public IP to configure the allowlist or share with integration partners.
Most residential connections use dynamic IP addresses — your ISP assigns one from a pool that can change on router reconnect or by ISP policy. Businesses typically use static IPs. Contact your ISP to get a static IP as a paid add-on.
IP geolocation shows the ISP's routing infrastructure location, not your physical device. Mobile carriers route traffic through regional hubs far from you. VPNs show the VPN server's location. City-level accuracy is typically within 50–100 km.
Yes — every web request includes your IP so the server knows where to send the response. Website owners, server admins, and analytics platforms can see and log your IP. Using a VPN masks your real IP from websites but not from the VPN provider itself.
IPv6 is the successor to IPv4, using 128-bit addresses (e.g. 2001:db8::1) to provide 340 undecillion addresses. Many ISPs now assign both IPv4 and IPv6 (dual-stack). The IP shown above tells you which you have.
VPN — replaces your IP with the server's IP. Tor — routes through multiple nodes (very private, but slow). Proxy — similar to VPN without encryption. Mobile data — switching from Wi-Fi gives a different IP.
IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses supporting 4.3 billion unique IPs. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses supporting 340 undecillion IPs. IPv4 exhaustion led to widespread NAT. IPv6 eliminates NAT and has built-in security improvements. Both coexist via dual-stack networking.