What Is an IP Address?
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique number assigned to every device that connects to the internet. It works like a postal address: it tells other computers where to send the data you request, whether that's a web page, an email, or a video stream.
Without an IP address, the network would have no way of knowing where your traffic should go — or where the reply should come back to.
What does an IP address look like?
There are two formats in use today:
- IPv4 — four numbers separated by dots, e.g.
192.0.2.146. Each number ranges from 0 to 255. - IPv6 — eight groups of hexadecimal characters, e.g.
2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334. IPv6 exists because the world ran out of IPv4 addresses.
See our guide on IPv4 vs IPv6 for the full comparison.
Public vs private IP addresses
You actually have two kinds of IP address at once:
- Your public IP is assigned by your internet provider and is visible to every website you visit. This is the address ifconfig.is shows you.
- Your private IP (like
192.168.1.x) is used only inside your home or office network and is not visible on the public internet.
What can someone learn from your IP address?
A public IP address reveals more than many people expect:
- Approximate location — usually your city or region, not your street address.
- Your internet provider (ISP) and the network (ASN) it belongs to.
- Whether you appear to be on a VPN, proxy, mobile, or hosting network.
- Your IP's reputation — whether it appears on spam blocklists or is a known Tor exit node.
It generally does not reveal your name, exact home address, or browsing history — those require cooperation from your ISP under legal process.
How do I find my IP address?
The easiest way is to open ifconfig.is — it displays your public IP instantly, along with geolocation, network details, and a privacy analysis. From the command line you can also run curl ifconfig.is.