IP Address Checker — Find Your Public WAN IP & Geolocation
An IP checker is an interactive network utility that detects and inspects your active public IPv4 or IPv6 address as seen by remote web servers across the internet. It reveals your Wide Area Network (WAN) routing endpoint, Internet Service Provider (ISP), Autonomous System Number (ASN), and approximate geographical location in real time.
IP Address Checker
Retrieving your IP details from diagnostic nodes...
Public vs. Private IP Reference
Understanding how your device communicates across internal and external networks:
- Public WAN IP: Assigned by your ISP; identifies your entire home network on the internet.
- Private LAN IP: Assigned by your router (e.g.
192.168.1.50) to identify your local device. - Gateway IP: The router's internal admin portal address (e.g.
192.168.1.1).
How Public IP Detection & Network Translation Operate
When your web browser initiates an HTTPS TCP connection to this server, the underlying IP packet header carries your origin address in its 32-bit (IPv4) or 128-bit (IPv6) source field. Your local router applies Network Address Translation (NAT) to convert your private endpoint into your public WAN identifier before forwarding packets upstream.
Standard IP Allocation Ranges (RFC Specifications):
- RFC 1918 Private Class A:
10.0.0.0/8(10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255, 16,777,216 addresses) - RFC 1918 Private Class B:
172.16.0.0/12(172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255, 1,048,576 addresses) - RFC 1918 Private Class C:
192.168.0.0/16(192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255, 65,536 addresses) - RFC 6598 Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT):
100.64.0.0/10(100.64.0.0 – 100.127.255.255)
Practical Network Example: A smartphone assigned local private IP 192.168.1.105 communicates through a home gateway router. To external websites, all outbound requests appear from public IP 203.0.113.42. Knowing your true WAN IP is essential for configuring firewall rules, hosting dedicated servers, and verifying encryption tunnels.
Real-World IP Address Lookup Applications
1. Port Forwarding & Remote Access
When hosting a local game server (such as Minecraft on port 25565), a Plex media server, or a remote security camera, external users must connect to your public WAN IP address. Checking your IP confirms the exact target address required for remote connections.
2. VPN Tunnel & Privacy Leak Audits
After establishing an encrypted VPN connection, running an IP check verifies whether your internet traffic is properly routed through the secure tunnel. If the tool still displays your residential ISP name and actual city, your system is experiencing an IP leak.
How to Interpret the IP Checker Results
AS7922 for Comcast) coordinating routing paths across Tier-1 backbones.Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between my public IP address and my private router IP?
Your public IP is the unique address assigned by your internet service provider (ISP) that represents your entire network on the global internet. In contrast, your private IP (such as 192.168.1.50) is assigned by your router's DHCP server to identify individual devices inside your local home network.
Why does my public IP address change periodically?
Most residential broadband subscribers receive dynamic IP addresses from their ISP's DHCP pool, which refresh during router restarts or when the ISP lease time expires. Businesses that require permanent hosting configure static IP addresses instead.
Can checking my public IP reveal my exact home street address?
No, IP geolocation only identifies the city, region, and telecommunication routing hub where your ISP connects to the internet backbone. It does not pinpoint your physical street address or reveal personal device contents.