What's My IP Address?

What is an IP address?

An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique numerical label assigned to every device connected to the internet. It works like a mailing address — it tells other computers where to send information when you request a website, send an email, or use any online service.

IPv4 vs. IPv6

IPv4 addresses are written as four groups of numbers separated by dots (e.g. 203.0.113.42). IPv4 supports around 4.3 billion unique addresses, and with the growth of the internet those are essentially exhausted.

IPv6 addresses are written as eight groups of hexadecimal digits separated by colons (e.g. 2001:db8::1). IPv6 was introduced to solve the address shortage and supports a virtually unlimited number of addresses. Many devices and networks now support both protocols simultaneously.

Public vs. private IP addresses

The address shown above is your public IP — the one visible to the outside world. Your router or carrier assigns it. Devices on your home or office network also have private IPs (like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x) that are only visible within that network and not shown here.