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Find Your Public IP Address

We show either IPv4 or IPv6 addresses, as reported by your Computer, Modem, Router, Hotspot, or Smartphone.

Every computer modem, whether dial-up, or broadband, that is connected to the Internet has a unique address assigned to it, known as an Internet Protocol or IP address. Every Internet Service Provider (your ISP) has a certain number of these addresses assigned to them, for distribution among their customers, thus your IP address may change every time you connect to your ISP.

Dial-up customers may get a different IP address each time they connect to their ISP. If you are a typical dynamic DSL Internet customer your IP address may change every time you power your modem off for a while, then power it on, or every couple of weeks, if the modem is always on. However, Cable and satellite Internet modems tend to retain their IP addresses for months at a time.

Businesses running VPNs over DSL lines usually have static IP addresses that never change, which come with a premium price tag (Because there are only so many IPs available, at this time).

The IP address that is assigned to you by your ISP is known as a public IP. A public IP can be addressed from the Internet. If your modem is connected directly to your computer, the IP of the modem is usually the IP of the computer. If you use a router, either built into the modem, or as a separate device after it, you can connect other computers together into a Local Area Network (LAN). These computers are assigned "private" IP addresses by the router, which contains what is called a DHCP Server. Computers with private IPs are not addressable from the Internet, without special routes or "pinholes" being created in the router's firewall (if it contains one). You can find the private IP assigned to computers on your LAN by opening a Command window on each Windows-based computer (Start > Run > CMD [Enter]) and typing in: IPCONFIG (and press Enter).

Some Internet applications, like file sharing, remote control and VPN clients, may require you to input your public IP address, before they will function properly. Yours is shown below.

Learn more about computer networking and IP addresses on my Networking page.