What is my IP?

This tool shows you the public IP address assigned to your device, IP location details (city and country), and user agent (operating system and browser) information.

What is an IP Address?

An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique identifier assigned to every device connected to the Internet or a network.

It serves two primary functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing. It is like a postal address for your digital communication that allows your device to be found on the network and to communicate with other devices, either on an internal or external computer network.

There are two prevalent versions of IP addresses in use today - IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4, the older version, consists of a 32-bit numerical form represented in four numbers separated by dots. Each of the four numbers ranges from 0 to 255 eg. 192.168.0.1.

On the other hand, IPv6 employs a 128-bit hexadecimal form that creates a vastly larger pool of unique addresses e.g. 1a0b:a465:add9:1:b283:14a0:dfe. The migration to IPv6 is crucial due to the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses as more devices connect to the internet.

Additionally, IP addresses can be categorized into public and private. A public IP address is the one visible to the world and is essential for communication across the internet. Private IP addresses, like those assigned to devices within a local network, enable internal communication but are not directly accessible from the Internet. Private IP addresses usually begin with 10, 172, or 192.

Why Do I Need to Know My IP?

In some scenarios, you may be required to know your public IP address. For instance, when setting up a remote connection to a home network or troubleshooting network issues, knowledge of your public IP is important.

Additionally, network and system administrators use IP addresses to enhance security measures. By monitoring the IPs accessing their network, administrators can identify potential threats, block malicious users, and safeguard sensitive data. You may be required to provide your IP address to be whitelisted on firewalls or other security systems to be given access to these systems.