My IP address location:
Internet service provider:
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Hide My IP Address
- What is an IP address?
- Why change your IP
- Finding your IP
- IPv4 vs. IPv6
- IPv6: what’s the holdup?
- Public vs. private IP
- More on IP addresses
- FAQ
What is an IP address?
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a numeric label assigned by your internet service provider. As it’s used to identify your device among billions of others, an IP address is a little like an online home address.
Here’s how an IP address directs data to its destination. First, you type in a website name (example.com) into the browser. However, your computer does not understand words — only numbers. So it first finds out the IP address of that website (example.com = 103.86.98.1.), finds it on the web, and finally loads it on your screen.
Why you should change your IP address
Gaming, streaming, browsing — whatever you do online, it will remain hidden from all third parties once you establish a VPN connection.
An IP address that’s only yours
Get a Dedicated IP. Avoid CAPTCHAs, get secure access to business servers and payments, and a permanent virtual location in the US, UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and elsewhere.
360° protection
NordVPN offers additional protection from other threats online. Say goodbye to intrusive ads and trackers and enjoy better performance and increased security.
Hidden location
Protect your identity by connecting to an encrypted, private VPN server. It will hide your IP and location online, and not even your ISP will be able to see what you do online.
Privacy online
NordVPN will ensure a private and secure connection even on public Wi-Fi. Use it on all our devices and stay safe at home and on the go.
Interested in the wider IP and cybersecurity world?
Education is key when it comes to staying safe on the web. Subscribe to NordVPN’s newsletter and get the latest tips and tricks on how to protect your IP from wrongdoers.
How to find my IP address
Finding your IP address is pretty easy. Here are a few examples of how you can look it up.
How to find my public IP address
To find your public IP address, you can scroll up to the top of this page. It will show you your IP, the location you’re connecting from, your service provider, and whether or not your traffic is secured.
How to find my IP address on Windows 11
Here’s how to look up your IP on Windows 11 if you’re connected to Wi-Fi:
Here’s how to look up your IP if you’re connected to the Ethernet network:
How to find my IP address on Windows 10
Here’s how to look up your IP on Windows 10 if you’re connected to Wi-Fi:
Here’s how to look up your IP if you’re connected to the Ethernet network:
How to find my IP address on Mac
Here’s how to find your IP address on Mac if you’re connected to Wi-Fi:
Here’s how to find your IP address on Mac if you’re connected to the Ethernet:
How to find my phone’s IP address
Here’s how to find the IP address on the Android phone:
Here’s how to find the IP address on your iPhone:
Here’s how to find the IP address on most Linux systems
Here’s how to find the IP address on a Raspberry PI
How to find my IP address on a Playstation
Here’s how to find the IP address on a Playstation 4:
Here’s how to find the IP address on a Playstation 5:
How to find my IP address on Xbox
Here’s how to find the IP address on an Xbox One:
Here’s how to find the IP address on an Xbox Series X and S:
IPv4 vs. IPv6 addresses
How an IP address looks depends on the Internet Protocol version it’s using — IPv4 or IPv6.
IPv4
Most internet service providers still use IPv4. It’s based on 32 binary bits, consists of four numbers from 0 to 255, and is separated by dots. For example, 103.86.98.1.
However, IPv4 can generate only 4.3 billion unique IP addresses. That’s nowhere near enough in this digital age — IPv4 addresses will soon run out.
IPv6
IPv6 addresses are made up of 8 blocks of numbers. Each block is written as four hexadecimal digits and separated by colons. For example, 2400:BB40:1100:0000:0000:0000:
0000:0001.
Number groups containing only 0 are often omitted to save space. Instead, a colon is added to indicate the gap. For example, 2400:BB40:1100::1.
Why hasn’t IPv6 been fully implemented yet?
Unlike the IPv4 protocol, IPv6 won’t ever run out of unique IP addresses — it can provide nearly 3.4×10^38 of them. Furthermore, some argue that IPv6 is a more efficient technology, providing better quality and connectivity. However, IPv6 has not been fully implemented for two reasons:
Public vs. private IP addresses
Public IP, also known as an external IP, is the address provided by your internet service provider. Devices on the same network share this IP address when accessing the internet. For specific details, such as location, you can perform an IP lookup check. On the other hand, private, or local, IPs are assigned to each device on your network by your router. Take a look at the table below to understand the differences between public and private IP addresses better:
Public IP address | Private IP address |
Used externally for communication over the internet | Used internally for communication within your home or office devices |
Assigned by an ISP | Assigned by a local router or a DHCP server |
Unique | Not unique and may be reused in other networks |
Example: 4.4.4.4. | Example: 192.168.1.100 |
Used to identify individual devices on the open internet | Used to segment a larger network into smaller subnetworks |
Public IP address |
Used externally for communication over the internet |
Assigned by an ISP |
Unique |
Example: 4.4.4.4. |
Used to identify individual devices on the open internet |
Private IP address |
Used internally for communication within your home or office devices |
Assigned by a local router or a DHCP server |
Not unique and may be reused in other networks |
Example: 192.168.1.100 |
Used to segment a larger network into smaller subnetworks |
Learn more about IP addresses and how they work
Types of IP addresses: All you need to know | What’s the difference between IPv4 and IPv6? |
What can someone do with my IP address? | 4 ways to find your printer’s IP address |
How to fix the “Failed to obtain IP address” error on Android | How to fix the “Ethernet does not have a valid IP configuration” error |
How to change your IP and location with a VPN | What is IP spoofing and how can you protect yourself? |
What are non-routable IP addresses? | How to fix the “self-assigned IP address” error on Mac |
How to fix the “Server IP address could not be found” error on Windows | How to set up a static IP address |
How to track an IP address | How to find my router IP address on any device |
Types of IP addresses: All you need to know |
What’s the difference between IPv4 and IPv6? |
What can someone do with my IP address? |
4 ways to find your printer’s IP address |
How to fix the “Failed to obtain IP address” error on Android |
How to fix the “Ethernet does not have a valid IP configuration” error |
How to change your IP and location with a VPN |
What is IP spoofing and how can you protect yourself? |
What are non-routable IP addresses? |
How to fix the “self-assigned IP address” error on Mac |
How to fix the “Server IP address could not be found” error on Windows |
How to set up a static IP address |
How to track an IP address |
How to find my router IP address on any device |
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Frequently asked questions
What does my IP address reveal about me?
Your IP address reveals a lot about you, ie. the approximate place you surf from, including your country, region, postcode, and city. Moreover, cunning websites can compare this information with other details retrieved from cookies and metadata, thus creating an even more revealing picture of your identity.
Who can use my IP address?
It is unlikely that anyone will actually take over your IP address and use it as their own. But some people do have access to your external IP address and can collect data related to it. For example, your ISP can always see what websites you have visited on the web. Meanwhile, the websites that you visit can track your approximate location and actions to customize their offering. If you search for flights, the website can detect that you are, for example, surfing from a wealthy European country and, therefore, automatically raise the prices.
How do I protect my IP address?
It is possible to protect your IP address by hiding it. This is done by using a VPN service, which routes your connection through another IP address, thus hiding your real one. Besides that, VPNs have many other benefits too. You get more online privacy and security as your internet traffic is encrypted and cannot be read by third-parties or misused by hackers.
