What is My IP Address

ToolsPivot's My IP Address tool instantly reveals your public IPv4 and IPv6 address along with your ISP, location, and connection details. Over 60% of internet users have searched "what is my IP" at least once, yet most tools only show a number without context. This tool identifies your IP, geolocation, and network provider in one click, giving you the data you need for troubleshooting, privacy audits, or remote access setup.

ToolsPivot's My IP Address Tool Overview

Core Functionality: The My IP Address tool detects and displays your public IP address the moment you load the page. It reads your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, maps your approximate geographic location, identifies your Internet Service Provider, and reports your browser and operating system. No manual input is required. ToolsPivot processes this lookup server-side and returns results within seconds.

Primary Users & Use Cases: Network administrators, web developers, remote workers, and privacy-conscious individuals use this tool most frequently. IT professionals verify IP assignments after VPN or proxy configuration. Developers confirm server whitelisting. Home users check whether their ISP has assigned a public or private IP for port forwarding, gaming, or smart home setups.

Problem & Solution: Finding your IP address manually requires command-line knowledge (ipconfig on Windows, ifconfig on Linux) that most users lack. The ToolsPivot My IP Address tool eliminates that barrier by displaying your public IP, ISP name, and city-level location automatically. Users save time and avoid errors when configuring firewalls, VPNs, or domain WHOIS records.

Key Benefits of My IP Address Tool

• Instant IP Detection: Displays your public IPv4 and IPv6 address immediately on page load without requiring any input or software installation.
• ISP Identification: Shows your Internet Service Provider name, helping you verify your connection source and troubleshoot routing issues.
• Geolocation Data: Maps your IP to an approximate city and country, useful for verifying VPN connections or checking geo-restriction status.
• IPv4 and IPv6 Support: Detects both protocol versions simultaneously, so you can confirm dual-stack connectivity and identify potential SSL configuration gaps.
• Privacy Verification: Confirms whether your VPN or proxy is masking your real IP address effectively before you access sensitive services.
• Zero Installation Required: Runs entirely in the browser with no downloads, plugins, or account registration needed.
• Cross-Device Compatibility: Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile browsers across all major operating systems.

Core Features of My IP Address Tool

• Public IP Display: Shows your external IP address as seen by websites and online services.
• IPv6 Detection: Identifies your IPv6 address if your ISP supports the newer protocol alongside IPv4.
• ISP Name Lookup: Resolves your IP to the Internet Service Provider managing your connection.
• City-Level Location: Determines the approximate geographic region associated with your IP address.
• Browser Detection: Reports your browser type, version, and user-agent string for debugging purposes.
• Operating System ID: Identifies the OS running on your device, useful for remote support scenarios.
• Connection Type Indicator: Distinguishes between residential, mobile, and hosting connections.
• Hostname Resolution: Displays the reverse DNS hostname linked to your public IP when available.
• Proxy Detection Flag: Indicates if your connection appears to route through a known proxy or VPN server.
• One-Click Copy: Lets you copy your IP address to clipboard instantly for use in configurations or email validation setups.

How ToolsPivot's My IP Address Tool Works

1. Open the My IP Address page in any web browser on your device. The tool begins detection automatically.
2. Your device sends an HTTP request to the ToolsPivot server, which reads the source IP from the connection header.
3. The server queries geolocation and ISP databases to match your IP with location and provider data.
4. Results display on screen, including your IPv4/IPv6 address, ISP, city, country, browser, and OS details.
5. Copy your IP or use the displayed information for network configuration, VPN testing, or password security audits.

When to Use My IP Address Tool

An IP address lookup is most valuable when you need to verify, troubleshoot, or document your network identity. Anytime your connection behavior changes or you configure network-dependent services, checking your IP provides a reliable starting point.

• VPN Verification: Confirm your VPN is active and routing traffic through the intended server location before accessing geo-restricted content.
• Firewall Configuration: Identify your current IP to add it to server whitelists or geo-IP locator allow-lists.
• Remote Desktop Setup: Provide your public IP to colleagues or IT support for remote access connections.
• Network Troubleshooting: Determine whether your ISP assigned a new IP after a router restart or service outage.
• Privacy Audits: Check if your real IP leaks through WebRTC or DNS when using privacy tools.
• Server Deployment: Verify your hosting IP matches DNS records before launching a website or API endpoint.
• Gaming and Port Forwarding: Confirm your public IP for NAT configuration and multiplayer server status checks.

Edge cases include verifying IPv6 readiness for dual-stack networks and checking whether your ISP uses Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT), which assigns shared public IPs to multiple households.

Use Cases / Applications

Network Administrator IP Audit

• Context: A sysadmin needs to verify the external IP of a branch office router after ISP maintenance.
• Process:
  • Open ToolsPivot's My IP Address tool from the branch network
  • Compare the displayed IP with the expected static assignment
  • Document the result for firewall rule updates
• Outcome: The admin confirms the IP matches records and updates ACL rules in under two minutes.

Remote Worker VPN Check

• Context: An employee working from home must ensure VPN connectivity before accessing corporate resources.
• Process:
  • Check IP before enabling VPN to record the home IP
  • Activate VPN and reload the tool
  • Verify the IP now reflects the corporate VPN gateway
• Outcome: The worker confirms encrypted tunnel status and proceeds with compliant access.

Web Developer DNS Verification

• Context: A developer deploying a web application needs to confirm the server's public IP matches the A record.
• Process:
  • Access the My IP Address tool from the server terminal browser
  • Compare the result with the domain's DNS A record
  • Cross-reference using the website safety checker
• Outcome: DNS propagation is verified, preventing downtime from misconfigured records.

Privacy-Conscious User Leak Test

• Context: A user wants to confirm their proxy service hides their real location from tracking websites.
• Process:
  • Run the IP check without proxy to establish baseline
  • Enable proxy and recheck the IP
  • Verify the displayed city and ISP no longer match the original
• Outcome: The user confirms successful IP masking and reduces exposure to targeted advertising.

Home Network Port Forwarding

• Context: A homeowner setting up a security camera system needs the public IP for remote viewing access.
• Process:
  • Use the tool to find the current public IPv4 address
  • Enter the IP in the camera app's remote access configuration
  • Test external connectivity from a mobile device on cellular data
• Outcome: Remote camera access works reliably with the confirmed public IP.

Understanding IPv4 vs IPv6

IPv4 addresses use 32 bits in a four-number dotted format (e.g., 192.168.1.1) and support approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses. IPv6 uses 128 bits in a hexadecimal colon-separated format (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334) and supports a virtually unlimited address pool.

Key Differences:

• Address Capacity: IPv4 provides 4.3 billion addresses; IPv6 provides 340 undecillion addresses
• Format: IPv4 uses decimal dots; IPv6 uses hexadecimal colons
• Security: IPv6 includes built-in IPSec support; IPv4 relies on external security layers
• NAT Dependency: IPv4 commonly uses NAT to share addresses; IPv6 assigns unique addresses per device

Most ISPs now support dual-stack configurations running both protocols simultaneously. Checking your IP with ToolsPivot shows whether your connection supports IPv4 only, IPv6 only, or both.

Public IP vs Private IP

A public IP address identifies your network on the global internet and is assigned by your ISP. A private IP address identifies individual devices within your local network and is assigned by your router via DHCP.

Private IP Ranges:

• Class A: 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255
• Class B: 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255
• Class C: 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255

If your IP falls within these ranges when running ipconfig or ifconfig, that is your private IP. The IP shown by ToolsPivot's tool is always your public IP, which is visible to external websites and services.

Related Tools

Complete your workflow with these complementary ToolsPivot tools:

• Domain to IP Converter: Resolve any domain name to its associated IP address instantly.
• Hosting Checker: Identify the web hosting provider behind any domain.
• URL Encoder Decoder: Encode or decode URLs for safe parameter passing in web applications.
• Internet Speed Test: Measure your upload and download speeds alongside latency and jitter.
• Online Ping Tool: Test connectivity and response time to any server or domain.
• WWW Redirect Checker: Verify that www and non-www versions redirect correctly.
• Domain Age Checker: Look up when a domain was first registered.
• Domain Availability Checker: Search for available domain names before registration.

Frequently Asked Questions About My IP Address

What is an IP address?

An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique numerical identifier assigned to every device connected to a network. It functions as a digital address that allows data to be routed between your device and websites or services across the internet.

How does the ToolsPivot My IP Address tool work?

The tool reads the source IP from your HTTP connection header when you load the page. It then queries geolocation and ISP databases to display your location, provider, and protocol version without requiring any manual input.

What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?

IPv4 uses a 32-bit address format with four decimal numbers separated by dots, supporting about 4.3 billion addresses. IPv6 uses a 128-bit hexadecimal format with eight groups separated by colons, providing a virtually unlimited address space for the growing number of connected devices.

Can someone find my exact location from my IP address?

No. An IP address reveals your approximate city or region and your ISP, but it cannot pinpoint your street address or identity. Only your ISP can link an IP to a specific subscriber, and they require a legal order to disclose that information.

What is the difference between a public IP and a private IP?

A public IP is assigned by your ISP and is visible to external websites and services. A private IP is assigned by your router to devices on your local network (typically starting with 192.168, 10, or 172.16) and is not accessible from the internet.

Why does my IP address keep changing?

Most ISPs assign dynamic IP addresses through DHCP, which means your IP can change when you restart your router, disconnect from the network, or when the DHCP lease expires. You can request a static IP from your ISP if you need a fixed address for hosting or remote access through a domain name generator.

How can I hide my IP address?

You can mask your IP using a VPN (Virtual Private Network), a proxy server, or the Tor browser. A VPN encrypts your traffic and routes it through a remote server, replacing your real IP with the VPN server's address.

Is it safe to share my IP address?

Sharing your IP address carries low risk since it only reveals your general location and ISP. However, avoid sharing it publicly as it could be targeted for DDoS attacks or used for basic profiling. Use ToolsPivot's MD5 hash generator if you need to share an obfuscated version.

How do I find my private (local) IP address?

On Windows, open Command Prompt and type "ipconfig" to see your IPv4 address. On macOS, go to System Settings then Network. On Linux, use "ip addr" or "ifconfig" in the terminal. On mobile devices, check the Wi-Fi connection details in your settings app.

What is Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT)?

CGNAT is a technique ISPs use to share a single public IP address among multiple subscribers to conserve IPv4 addresses. If your router's WAN IP differs from what ToolsPivot shows, your ISP likely uses CGNAT, which can affect port forwarding and peer-to-peer connections.

Can I check if my VPN is working with this tool?

Yes. Load the My IP Address page before connecting your VPN and note the IP. Then enable your VPN and reload the page. If the displayed IP, ISP, and location change to match your VPN server, your VPN is functioning correctly.

Does this tool work on mobile devices?

ToolsPivot's My IP Address tool works on all mobile browsers including Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Samsung Internet. Simply open the page on your phone or tablet to see your current public IP and network details.