Your IP address is a unique numerical label assigned to your device by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) that identifies your device and location on the internet. It acts like a digital home address, allowing your device to send and receive data online
. There are two main types of IP addresses:
- IPv4: A 32-bit address format, commonly used, consisting of four numbers separated by dots (e.g., 192.168.1.1).
- IPv6: A newer 128-bit format with eight groups of hexadecimal digits separated by colons, designed to provide many more unique addresses
Your IP can be:
- Public IP: Visible to the internet and assigned by your ISP.
- Private IP: Used within your local network.
- Static IP: Does not change over time.
- Dynamic IP: Changes periodically, often when you reconnect to the internet
To find your current public IP address, you can visit websites like whatismyipaddress.com, whatismyip.com, or whatsmyip.org, which display your IP and related info such as location and ISP
. If you want to change or hide your IP address for privacy or accessing geo- restricted content, common methods include using a VPN, resetting your router (for dynamic IPs), switching networks, or using proxy services
