NetKit

What is my IP address?

This is the public address websites see when you connect. It is read from your connection at the moment you load this page.

Your public IP
Reading your address_

Public IP vs private IP: how NAT hides your devices

Your router gets one public IPv4 address from your ISP. Every device at home gets a private address from one of the ranges set aside by RFC 1918 (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16). When a device talks to the internet, the router rewrites the source address to its public one and remembers which inside device used which outside port. That's Network Address Translation. Switch devices on and watch the router's table fill up.

Your home network (private)
Router NAT table
InsideOutside
192.168.1.23:51514203.0.113.7:46514
192.168.1.41:49822203.0.113.7:44822
What websites see

203.0.113.7

2 devices, one address. Example address (your connection uses IPv6).

With IPv6 there are enough addresses for every device to have its own global address, so NAT is normally not needed; privacy extensions (RFC 8981) rotate the address instead.

What your IP address reveals, and what it doesn't

  • Reveals: your ISP or VPN provider, the country, usually the region, and whether you're on a mobile, home or data-centre network.
  • Doesn't reveal: your name, street address or which device you're using. Only your ISP can map an address and timestamp to an account.
  • Carrier-grade NAT: if your router's WAN address starts with 100.64 to 100.127, your ISP puts many customers behind one public IP (RFC 6598). Port forwarding won't work from outside in that case; check with the open port checker.

Find your private (local) IP

  • Windows: run ipconfig and read "IPv4 Address".
  • macOS: ipconfig getifaddr en0 (Wi-Fi), or System Settings → Network.
  • Linux: ip -4 addr show or hostname -I.
  • iPhone / Android: Wi-Fi settings → tap the connected network.

From a terminal

To print your public IP in a script, ask a DNS resolver that echoes it back: dig +short txt ch whoami.cloudflare @1.1.1.1 or dig +short myip.opendns.com @resolver1.opendns.com.

Questions people ask

Is my IP address the same as my device's IP?
Usually not. Your phone or laptop has a private address (often 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x) that only your router knows. Websites see your router's public address, the one shown above. The NAT explainer on this page shows how many devices share it.
Why does the location look wrong?
IP geolocation maps address blocks to places using registry data and ISP hints. It is usually right about the country, often right about the region, and frequently off by tens of kilometres for the city, because many ISPs route whole regions through one hub. Mobile networks are the least accurate.
Why do I see an IPv6 address instead of IPv4?
If your ISP and device both support IPv6, browsers prefer it (the "Happy Eyeballs" algorithm, RFC 8305). You can still have an IPv4 address too; which one a website sees depends on which protocol connected first.
Does my IP address change?
Most home connections get a dynamic address that can change when the router reconnects or the ISP's lease expires, typically days to weeks. Mobile networks change it much more often. A static IP is usually a paid business option.
Can someone find my home address from my IP?
Not from the IP alone. It points to your ISP and a rough area. Only the ISP can link an address and time to a subscriber, and they generally release that only under legal process.
Why does a VPN change my IP?
With a VPN on, your traffic leaves the internet from the VPN provider's server, so websites see that server's address. Reload this page with the VPN on and off to confirm it is working.