What is my public IP?

Public IP vs local IP

Your public IP is the address internet services generally see for your connection. Devices on a home or office network may also have private local addresses such as 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x; this checker does not attempt to enumerate those local addresses.

When checking your public IP is useful

A public-IP check can help when confirming whether a VPN or different internet connection changed the address visible to websites, when comparing two network connections, or when your administrator asks which external address a connection is currently using. For example, run the checker before connecting a VPN, note the result, then run it again after the VPN is connected. A different result confirms the lookup service is seeing a different public address; it does not by itself prove that every application on the device is using the same route.

IPv4 and IPv6

The primary lookup uses an IPv4/IPv6-capable endpoint, so the result may be either format depending on your connection. A separate IPv4 lookup is attempted when available and is clearly labelled. Some networks use carrier-grade NAT or shared gateways, so several customers may appear behind one public IPv4 address. IPv6 can behave differently because devices may have globally routable addresses while still using firewall protections.

What an IP address does not tell you

A public IP is a network identifier, not reliable proof of a person's identity, exact home address or physical location. Geolocation databases can be approximate or stale, and this tool intentionally does not add those guesses. A changing address can also be normal on consumer connections because providers may assign addresses dynamically.

Privacy and security note

The tool is intentionally click-to-run. It does not start a public-IP lookup in the background, and it does not combine the result with a location database. Avoid publishing your public IP unnecessarily. If you are troubleshooting inbound access, firewall or router configuration matters in addition to the address itself.

Read the public IP result in context

Your public IP address is the network address that an external service sees for a request from your connection. It may belong to a home router, workplace gateway, mobile carrier or VPN endpoint rather than to an individual device. Several devices can share one public address through network address translation, and one device can appear under a different public address when it changes networks.

A quick network troubleshooting workflow

1. Run the check on the connection you want to inspect.
2. Record whether an IPv4 address, IPv6 address or both are returned.
3. If comparing with another service, make sure both checks use the same network and VPN state.
4. When contacting an ISP or administrator, share only the information needed for the support request and follow their security policy.

For example, a laptop connected to a VPN may show the VPN provider's exit address instead of the address seen when connected directly to the home router. A mobile network can also change addresses as a device reconnects. This result is not a precise street location and should not be used to identify a person's physical address or identity.

Privacy and technical limits

To learn a public IP address, the browser must contact a network endpoint that can observe the request. The checker does not infer a street address or pretend to know your exact location, and IP geolocation databases can be inaccurate or outdated. A public IP result does not prove that a port is open, that a server is reachable, that a device is secure or that a particular person sent a request.

Public IP questions

Why is my IP different from yesterday?

ISPs, mobile carriers, VPNs and network changes can assign or expose different addresses over time.

Can this show my local LAN address?

No. A local address such as a private 192.168.x.x address is usually visible only within your local network and is different from the public address external services see.