What is a public IP address?
Every device that talks to the internet needs an address. Your public IP address is the unique identifier your Internet Service Provider (ISP) assigns to your connection — it is what websites, apps, and online services see when you visit them. Think of it as a return address: when you request a page, the server knows where to send the data back.
Do not confuse it with the private IP addresses (usually 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x) that your router hands out to devices inside your home or office network. Private addresses work only within the local network. Your public IP is the one visible to the entire internet.
IPv4 vs IPv6
IPv4 is the format most of the internet still uses: four groups of numbers, for example 203.0.113.42. It allows about 4.3 billion unique addresses — a pool that has run dry as the number of connected devices keeps growing.
IPv6 is its successor: much longer alphanumeric addresses, for example 2001:db8::1. With 128 bits, it provides a virtually unlimited number of addresses and was created specifically to solve the shortage. Many connections today use both, which is why this page shows two results — if IPv6 says "Not detected", your network is IPv4-only.
Is this address permanent?
Almost all home users have a dynamic IP address: the ISP can change it periodically, for example when your router restarts or when the lease time expires. Businesses and servers, on the other hand, often pay for a static IP that never changes — useful for hosting a website, running remote access to an office network, or keeping services reachable at the same address.
Keep it private
Your IP address does not reveal your home address, but it does expose your approximate location (usually city level) and your ISP. Sharing it publicly can invite unwanted attention, from port scanning to denial-of-service attacks. A practical way to hide it is a VPN — and the best part is that the technology behind most trustworthy VPNs, such as WireGuard or OpenVPN, is open source. Share your IP only where it is really needed.
Why check your public IP?
- Troubleshooting: confirm whether your ISP has assigned you a new address or your connection behaves as expected.
- Router and firewall setup: port forwarding, firewall rules, and parental controls often require knowing your current public IP.
- Remote access and VPNs: connect to your home network from anywhere, or open this page while your VPN is on and off to verify it actually masks your address.
- Security monitoring: track changes to a dynamic IP to spot unexpected activity on your connection.