
This includes social media sites, internet forums, chatrooms, and blogs you comment on. Every time you click something online it’s like signing a guestbook, with your IP address acting as the signature you leave behind. Remember, IP addresses are required to enter any website and webpage on it. They can’t just run a Google search for “What is ’s IP address?” But it’s also not as difficult as you might think, considering we leave our digital footprints and, in turn, IP addresses behind with every click we make while online. It’s not that easy for others to find your IP address. However, others can piece together bits of your identity, using your IP address and by following your online activity Can IP addresses reveal your identity? No, not outrightly.What can an IP address tell you? To some degree, your physical location and also the name of your ISP.

What does an IP address tell you? For the most part, an IP address tells you the city, ZIP code, or area code of your ISP, as well as your ISP’s name.It’s for this reason that your IP address almost always reveals the geolocation of your ISP’s nearest servers - not your physical location at all - and your IP address also reveals the name of your ISP. Sure, these internet-connected devices share their IP address with your router, but your router uses its own IP address to grant your device access to the World Wide Web. IP addresses will also never reveal your name, phone number, or other precise personal information. Instead, IP addresses might reveal the city, ZIP code, or area code from where you are connecting to the internet at that moment, which is why IP addresses change every time you connect from a new location or when you are using a new router.Īnd it’s generally your router’s IP address that is revealed, not the IP address of your internet-connected devices such as your computer, tablet, or mobile phone that communicate with a router to connect to the internet. IP addresses do reveal your geolocation, but not your precise location like a home address does. What information does my IP address reveal? Rather, online users should be aware of what information their IP address reveals. Online users won’t even know the difference and, generally, they don’t need to - much like how they don’t necessarily need to know how to read an IP address. Your IP address changes, though, every time you connect to a different Wi-Fi network or router. The internet knows your IP address because it’s assigned to your device and is required to browse the internet. You can find your IP address by running a Google search for ”What is my IP address?” Once you do this, the internet sends your IP address to you. Why do you have an IP address?Īn IP address can be considered a digital address for your internet-connected devices, as it reveals your geolocation to help providers deliver content that’s relevant to you.Īn example? Thanks to your IP address you’ll see local restaurants pop up when you search “sushi restaurants.” How can I find my IP address?

But, it’s also important to understand the purpose of IP addresses and why they matter.

Understanding how to find your IP address and how it works is important. Websites and computer networks require this form of identification for you to interact with them. Considering every single internet-connected device has an IP address, billions of IP addresses exist.Įvery device that can connect to the internet is a member of the World Wide Web - computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, routers, etc.

Your internet service provider (ISP) assigns IP addresses to your internet-connected devices, and every IP address is unique. Your computer network uses the IP address to communicate with other computers, websites, and all parts of cyberspace.Įssentially, IP addresses are how computers on the internet recognize one another. So, what is an IP address? At its most basic, an IP address is a string of numbers assigned to an internet-connected device. Think of it like an address on a house.
