Note: This is your public-facing IP address as seen by our server.
Your IP (Internet Protocol) address is a fundamental network identifier that operates at the Internet Layer (Layer 3) of the TCP/IP model. Unlike browser-based attributes, your IP address:
IP addresses were defined in RFC 791 (1981) as the core addressing mechanism for the Internet. Think of them as the "phone numbers" or "mailing addresses" of the Internetâevery device needs one to send and receive data.
Format: Four numbers (0-255) separated by dots
Example: 192.168.1.1 or 8.8.8.8
Address Space: ~4.3 billion addresses
Status: Exhausted; most addresses already allocated
Format: Eight groups of four hexadecimal digits
Example: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334
Address Space: 340 undecillion addresses (essentially unlimited)
Status: Gradually replacing IPv4
Routable on the Internet; uniquely identify your network to the outside world
8.8.8.8 - Google DNS1.1.1.1 - Cloudflare DNS93.184.216.34 - Example domainUsed within local networks; not routable on public Internet
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 (Most home routers)10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 (Large networks)172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 (Medium networks)127.0.0.1 - Localhost (your own computer)0.0.0.0 - Default route/all interfaces255.255.255.255 - Broadcast address| Connection Type | IP Assignment | Tracking Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Home Broadband | Dynamic (changes periodically) | Medium - Changes when modem resets or periodically (days/weeks) |
| Mobile Cellular | Dynamic (changes frequently) | Lower - Changes more often (hours/days), shared among many users |
| Business/Enterprise | Static (permanent) | High - Never changes, uniquely identifies organization |
| Public WiFi | Shared public IP | Lower - Many users share same IP |
| VPN | VPN provider's IP | Lower - Hides real IP, but VPN knows your true address |
| Tor Network | Exit node IP | Lowest - Changes frequently, shared among many users |
Many mobile providers and some ISPs use CGNAT, where hundreds or thousands of customers share the same public IP address. This reduces tracking potential but can cause issues with:
Your IP address is the most fundamental identifier on the Internet. It reveals your approximate location and is logged by every website you visit.
Precision: City-level (sometimes neighborhood-level)
Geolocation databases map IP ranges to physical locations based on ISP assignments. While not exact, this typically reveals your city and sometimes your neighborhood.
The company providing your Internet access is immediately identifiable from your IP address.
Whether you're using home broadband, mobile data, corporate network, VPN, or Tor can often be determined.
Business IP addresses often resolve to the company name, revealing employer or institutional affiliation.
Copyright holders routinely track IP addresses accessing pirated content and can request ISPs to identify the account holder.
Activists in restrictive countries can be identified and targeted based on their IP addresses visiting certain websites.
E-commerce sites sometimes show different prices based on your location (detected via IP).
While dynamic IPs change periodically, ISPs maintain logs of which IP was assigned to which customer at what time. This means:
Unlike browser attributes, you cannot simply "disable" your IP addressâit's required for Internet communication. However, you can mask it:
How it works: Routes your traffic through a VPN server, showing the VPN's IP instead of yours
Pros:
Cons:
How it works: Routes traffic through multiple volunteer-run servers, making it very difficult to trace
Pros:
Cons:
How it works: Similar to VPN but typically without encryption
Not Recommended: Free proxies are often insecure, log your activity, or inject ads/malware
How it works: Using public WiFi shows that location's IP instead of your home IP
Limited benefit: Your device can still be identified through other means, and public WiFi is often insecure
For comprehensive privacy: