Your Public IP Address
...
Location
Unknown
Region
Unknown
Timezone
Unknown
Postal Code
Unknown
ISP
Unknown
ASN
Unknown
Every server you connect to sees this
Your IP address, ISP name, and approximate city are logged automatically by every website, ad network, and CDN you visit. This happens silently, before you interact with any page. A VPN replaces your IP with one from a different location.
What Your IP Address Exposes
An IP address is more than a number — it's a digital fingerprint tied to your network identity. Here's exactly what it reveals to every server you connect to.
Your ISP
Your internet provider is fully visible. ISPs are legally required to keep connection logs in most countries.
City-Level Location
IP geolocation pinpoints your city with 80–90% accuracy for residential connections. Region and country are near-certain.
Connection Type
Residential, datacenter, mobile, or VPN — your connection type is identifiable from IP ranges. Bots and scrapers are often blocked this way.
Timezone
Your timezone is derived from your IP's geographic location. Combined with browser data, it pinpoints you more precisely.
Behavioral Tracking
Advertisers link your IP to browsing sessions across days and sites. IP-based tracking works even when cookies are cleared.
Proxy / VPN Status
Services check your IP against known VPN, proxy, and Tor exit node databases. Many streaming services block these automatically.
IPv4 vs IPv6 — What's the Difference?
There are two versions of the IP protocol in use today. Understanding the difference matters for privacy, compatibility, and leak protection.
IPv4
32-bit203.0.113.42- •Written as 4 decimal groups (0–255)
- •Only ~4.3 billion unique addresses
- •Most home connections still use IPv4
- •Shared via NAT — multiple devices, one IP
- •Exhausted — ISPs use CGNAT to extend
IPv6
128-bit2001:db8::1- •Written as 8 groups of hex digits
- •340 undecillion unique addresses
- •Growing adoption — mobile and new ISPs
- •Each device can have its own global IP
- •More privacy risk — device-specific address
How ISPs Assign IP Addresses
Your IP isn't random — it comes from a block your ISP was assigned by regional internet registries (ARIN, RIPE, APNIC). Understanding this explains why your IP "looks like" your provider.
IANA allocates to registries
The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) distributes large IP blocks to 5 regional registries covering different continents.
Registries allocate to ISPs
Your ISP receives a range of IP addresses (an Autonomous System) from the regional registry. This is what the ASN field identifies.
ISPs assign to customers
Your router requests an IP via DHCP each time it connects. Most home ISPs use dynamic allocation — your IP may change on reboot.
CGNAT compounds the layers
Due to IPv4 exhaustion, many ISPs now place thousands of customers behind one public IP using Carrier-Grade NAT. Your "IP" is shared.
How to Hide Your IP Address
Several methods can mask or replace your real IP. Each has different privacy guarantees, speed trade-offs, and use cases.
VPN
Encrypts all traffic and replaces your IP with the VPN server's address. Best balance of speed and privacy for most users.
Check for DNS leaks after connecting.
Tor
Routes traffic through 3+ relays. No single server knows both your IP and destination. Best for high-stakes anonymity.
Exit nodes visible to destination servers.
Proxy
Routes HTTP/S traffic through an intermediary server. No encryption. Often used for geo-unblocking rather than privacy.
Proxy operators can see all traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Want deeper analysis?
Visit MyInfo for browser fingerprint, WebRTC leak check, and full privacy score — or DNS Leak Test to verify your VPN isn't leaking DNS queries.