IP essentials

What is an IP address?

An IP address is a network address used to route internet traffic. It identifies where a connection can be reached, not who a person is.

Your public address and your local address

Your laptop may have a private address such as 192.168.1.25 inside your home network. Your router can translate traffic from several devices to one public IPv4 address using network address translation (NAT). This website sees the address on the incoming connection, not every address assigned to your device.

Private ranges include 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12 and 192.168.0.0/16. They are reused in many separate networks and cannot identify one public place.

Why your IP can change

Your internet provider may assign addresses dynamically. Switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data, reconnecting or using a VPN can change the address visible to a website. A provider can also share an address among customers using carrier-grade NAT.

What a VPN changes

When traffic travels through a VPN, this website normally sees the VPN exit address. That does not prove a VPN is working for every application. Get IP Status does not certify privacy, detect all proxies or assess connection security.

What we can look up

A database may associate a public address with a country, approximate city and network organization. It does not reliably identify a street, household or individual. Read about location accuracy, or check the address this service sees.