What is My IP Address

What an IP address looks like

Your IP (Internet Protocol) address will be an identifier, like

IP4 - 203.0.113.42 or

IP6 - 2001:0002:14:5:1:2:bf35:2610.

Find Your Internet/Public IP Address

There may come a time when you need to know the IP address of your router, as assigned by your ISP. This can be particularly handy for things like VoIP calls or remote control software.

What you'll also find is that there's lots of information about you attached to that IP address, specifically your ISP's name and your general location (called a GeoIP). That is because ISPs dole out a range of IP addresses. Figuring out your provider and general location based on IP address is as simple as consulting a public list.

What’s the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?

IPv4 and IPv6 are different versions of the Internet Protocol. IPv4 was implemented in 1983 and is still in use today. The format for IPv4 addresses is four sets of numbers separated by dots, for example: ‘74.125.224.72’. This is a 32-bit format, which means that it allows for 232, or about 4.3 billion, unique IP addresses, which it turns out is not enough for the amount of devices that are now on the Internet. The need for more IP addresses led to the implementation of IPv6*. IPv6 addresses use a more complex format that utilizes sets of numbers and letters separated by single or double colons, for example: ‘2607:f860:4005:804::200e’. This 128-bit format can support 2128 unique addresses. (That computes to a 39-digit number!)

What’s the difference between static IPs and dynamic IPs?

The limited supply of IPv4 addresses led to the introduction of dynamically assigning IP addresses, which is still a very common practice. Most devices connected to the Internet are assigned temporary IP addresses. For example, when a home user connects to the Internet on their laptop, that user’s ISP assigns them a temporary IP address from a pool of shared IP addresses. This is known as a dynamic IP address. This is more cost-effective for the ISP than assigning each user a permanent, or static, IP address.