My IP

An IP address is the number a device is given when it connects to the internet; it is how the data you ask for finds its way back to you. Every website you visit can see it, and the value at the top of this page is your public IP address.

Who decides what my IP address is?

Your internet provider assigns it: the mobile carrier on a mobile connection, the telephone company or the fibre or DSL provider on a fixed one. That is why the provider's name and its ASN appear in the table of details.

Is my IP address fixed?

Usually not. Most home and mobile connections use a dynamic address, which changes when the modem is restarted or a phone moves between cells. A fixed address is normally a separate service that has to be requested from the provider.

What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?

IPv4 is the older and still more common version, written as four numbers such as 46.100.14.30. Because those addresses are running out, IPv6 was introduced; it is longer and written with letters and colons. If your connection supports both, both addresses are shown on this page.

Can an IP address reveal where I am?

Not in the way people usually imagine. The location shown comes from the network registration databases, not from the device's GPS. It is accurate to roughly the city, and often names the city where the provider's exchange is rather than where you are. A home address or a person's identity cannot be read off an IP address; only the provider holds that.

Why is the location shown different from where I actually am?

Three common reasons: a VPN or proxy that routes your traffic out somewhere else, a mobile connection that is routed through a distant exchange, and an address block that the provider registered with a different location.

What does the subnet mean?

The subnet is the block of addresses your IP address belongs to, allocated to your provider. It is of use to network administrators, for instance to tell which operator a range of addresses belongs to.

How can I change my IP address?

On a home connection, switching the modem off and on is the simplest way; with a dynamic address you will usually be given a new one. On a phone, turning flight mode on and off generally has the same effect.