Introduction
If you've ever wondered, 'What is my IP address?', or wanted to know what your current public IP address is, the Toolibex My IP Address tool can show you. The tool is helpful in showing you the information associated with the IP address, as well as giving you an idea of what that information means.
Whether it's for troubleshooting or simply out of curiosity, finding your IP address is a good place to start.
About the My IP Address tool
The Toolibex My IP Address tool will show you the public IP address associated with visiting the website. This will often be the IP address provided by your internet service provider, mobile network, or other tools such as a VPN or proxy.
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is used to identify a network interface or connection for the purposes of communication across a network. There are two main versions of IP addresses: Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).
IPv4 addresses typically look like this: 192.0.2.10.
IPv6 addresses are usually in the format of hexadecimals and also colons: 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000.
Your public IP address might also be different to your private IP address, which generally identifies devices on a network. For example, your public IP address could be associated with your router, and your phone's private IP address would be something like 192.168.0.2.
The My IP Address tool could be used by:
- Everyday internet users looking to identify their current public IP address
- Networking professionals looking to find out what the public IP address is on a network
- Remote workers who want to check their IP address when connected to a VPN
- Website administrators who want to double-check their public IP address
- Technical support staff troubleshooting network access and connection issues
An IP address lookup will not always give away your exact location or any other personal information. The details available depend on the type of address, the network it is on, and what the address is associated with.
How does the My IP Address tool work?
An online IP checker works by using the connection information available to the browser. Here's a (highly simplified) summary of how it all works.
1. You open the page in your browser
Connecting to the page will involve sending a request from your device to the server which hosts the page. The request will go through any network providers and services involved.
2. The server finds out the source IP address
The receiving server can, generally, determine what source IP address the request came from. If you're using a VPN or a proxy service, the server will generally see the IP address provided by the service.
If you're using a carrier-grade network address translation (CG-NAT) for your home internet connection, multiple users will share a single public IPv4 address.
3. The IP address is shown to you
The tool will display the IP address it found so that you can view it, copy it, or otherwise make use of it. Information associated with the address might also be displayed depending on what the service provides. What information is displayed and its accuracy should be considered carefully.
4. You make use of the information
Once you have your public IP address, you might want to use it for a specific purpose: comparing it to the one provided by yourVPN or checking your connection to a specific service, for example. Always make sure what you're doing with the information is appropriate.
The public IP address is associated with your connection, and will change depending on what network you are on. It is possible that a dynamic update of your IP address has occurred (particularly for residential or mobile internet connections), so the result might not be completely accurate or stable.
Understanding your IP Address results
An IP address lookup is more useful when you know what it means. Here are some of the details that might show up in the results.
Public IP address
Your Public IP address is generally what other services on the internet would see if they are connecting to your connection. This may be your router's IP address, the cellular network you're currently on, or the exit IP address of aVPN or proxy service.
This is usually what is meant by what your 'IP address is.
IPv4 and IPv6
IPv4 addresses are the older standard, and use a period-separated series of up to four numbers, such as 192.0.2.10.
IPv6 is a newer standard which uses a colon-separated series of hexadecimal numbers, such as 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000. It has been implemented because there were going to be more IPv4 addresses than there actually were. There are many ISPs and services that only support IPv4, but many also allow IPv6.
If an IPv6 address shows up, this does not necessarily indicate a problem.
IP address location
IP lookup tools often have some information associated with the IP address which can give you an idea of where the IP address belongs. This might be a country, region, or sometimes even a city.
Location information for IP addresses is usually approximate and based on information associated with the network that the IP address is on. It is generally not accurate to the point where you could use it to find an exact GPS location. If the service provides a city, it could just be a general area designated to that network.
Internet service provider or network
IP address databases also usually have information about what internet service provider (ISP) or network owns that IP address. The network might be the one you're actually using, like your home network, but sometimes it might be something else.
If you're using a carrier-grade network address translation (CG-NAT), multiple users will share a single public IPv4 address with other users.
The ISP associated with the network is often useful for troubleshooting network access issues. Always consider that an IP address might not actually belong to the ISP it shows.
Public IP vs private IP
A private IP address is associated with a device on a network. They are usually in the form of 10.0.x.x, 172.16.x.x to 172.31.x.x, and 192.168.x.x. The public IP address is what the network or other computers on the internet would use to recognise your device.
While some of these addresses might be used in troubleshooting, you should not mistake a private IP address for a public IP address. The private IP addresses associated with your device can be found in your network settings (usually under TCP/IP properties for Windows, or a similar settings option for Apple computers, Android phones or tablets).
Examples of using an IP address checker
Some examples of the different ways you might use a free IP address lookup tool.
Example 1: Checking the status of aVPN connection
You have connected to aVPN service, but you're not sure if your connection is working correctly. The best way to check is to see if your public IP address is any different after connecting theVPN.
If the result shows a different IP address than before, this is likely to mean your browser is routing your connection to theVPN server. If it's connected, but it doesn't look like it is working, you might want to try and check forDNS or other leaks.
Example 2: Website administrator asks for your IP address
A website administrator has asked you to provide your IP address for some reason. The My IP Address tool can help you find the IP address, but you should always make sure that the person asking is actually legitimate. You should also make sure that you're providing the right information. If you share your public IP address, they will be able to see what network you're on, but no more than that.
Example 3: Checking an unstable home internet connection
Your internet connection at home keeps dropping out for no apparent reason. You thought it might be because your public IP address was changing, so you can use an IP address checker to check it. You can check it again to verify. If you're using a residential or mobile internet connection, you might want to check what address you have at regular intervals to see if that might be causing the problem. If you have had the same issue previously, you might want to contact your internet service provider.
Example 4: A website says I'm in a different city to where I actually am
A website has identified your location as being a different city to where you actually are. You can use an online IP address lookup to check the information, but it's worth noting that most IP address databases will only provide location information based on the IP address. You should check the settings or support options of the service to see if they might be providing a more accurate location.
Tips for checking and managing your IP address
- Always check the address when you need it. Public IP addresses can change, and you should not rely on something like a cached address to configure a network or access a service.
- Always compare the IPs when using aVPN. A different public IP address is an indication that yourVPN might be working correctly.
- Learn about your network. Things like your router, proxy or carrier-grade NAT can change or affect the public IP address associated with your network.
- Never assume an IP address lookup tool will tell you an exact location. IP address location databases tend to give a general area associated with an IP address. This is generally not as specific as GPS location or street addresses.
- Never share your IP address unless you have to. If you have to share it, make sure it's only with someone you can trust, and always make sure they need it. If you're using a public network, anyone who connects with you could potentially find out your IP address.
- Don't expect an IP address lookup tool to solve every networking issue. The issue might still require further troubleshooting, or a different tool. Make sure you've ruled out the obvious issues, such as a disconnected cable or mis-typed password.
- If you need your internal (private) IP address, make sure you get it from the right place. The Toolibex My IP Address tool will only show you the public IP address associated with your network. If you need the internal IP address of a device on a network, such as a laptop or phone, you'll have to make sure you're looking at your device's network settings.
- Always remember that an IP address does not necessarily tell you who someone is. IP addresses usually do not have any personal information associated with them, and in many cases multiple people can share a single public IP address.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is my IP address?
Your IP address is the network address associated with your connection. An online checker will usually give you your public IP address, which may be your router's address, your mobile network, aVPN address or a proxy address.
How do I find my IP address?
You can use the Toolibex My IP Address tool to see your public IP address. If you need your private (internal) IP address, you could check your device's network settings (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS).
What is an IP address used for?
IP addresses are used to help computers and devices share information across local networks and the internet. They generally allow information to be sent to the right device or network.
Can my IP address reveal my location?
Generally, an IP address alone can't really tell you someone's exact location. Sometimes, databases associated with IP addresses will have general location data. This data is generally not useful for determining someone's exact location, and is normally only given as a general area the IP address is associated with.
Does my IP address change?
It can. Depending on your network, a public IP address can change. This might happen when a device reboots or the lease on the IP address has expired.
What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 and IPv6 are two different versions of IP addresses. IPv4 addresses are generally the older ones, and look like this: 192.0.2.10.
IPv6 addresses are newer, and they look like this: 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000. IPv6 addresses are a larger range of possible addresses. IPv4 addresses have a 32-bit value, and IPv6 have a 128-bit value.
Will aVPN change the IP address websites see?
Normally, aVPN will change the IP address that websites see. They generally replace your public IP address with another one, which might be useful if you want your connection to be anonymous. However, a simple change in the IP address is generally not enough to guarantee that your traffic is being properly anonymised. There may be additional tools needed to ensure that theVPN is doing what it's supposed to be doing.
Can someone identify me from my IP address?
Someone might be able to determine some information based off of your IP address, but normally it won't reveal a personal name or any other identifying information unless that information already has a public record. Determining a person solely from an IP address is difficult, as many people share an IP address, and an IP address alone would not have any personal information associated with it. If someone wants to find out information about you, they might need to go through your internet service provider and get the necessary information that way.