What Is My IP

What Is an IP Address and Why Does It Matter?

An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is the number that identifies your device on the Internet or on a local network. It works like a return address, so websites and apps know where to send the data you request.

Your IP can also hint at your approximate location (like your city or region) and the internet provider (ISP) connecting you. Location results aren’t exact, but they’re useful for checking your connection, troubleshooting issues, and spotting unusual traffic.

How Does an IP Address Work on the Internet?

When you go online, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) gives your connection an IP address. Think of it as your device’s delivery address for the internet, so websites and apps know where to send the data you ask for.

Every time you open a page, stream a video, or send an email, networks use IP addresses to route traffic to the right place—from the service to your device and back again. Without an IP address, your device couldn’t request information or receive responses, so that online communication wouldn’t work.

IPv4 vs IPv6: What’s the Difference?

IPv4 and IPv6 are the two main protocols used to assign IP addresses on the Internet. They do the same job—identifying devices and routing traffic—but they use different address formats and have very different capacities.

• IPv4 uses a 32-bit address, written as four numbers (example: 192.168.1.1). It supports about 4.3 billion unique addresses, which isn’t enough for today’s number of connected devices.
• IPv6 uses a 128-bit address, written in a longer format (example: 2600:1512:5c3a:7020:41fa:b723:956e:b762). It provides a massive supply of addresses, solving the IPv4 shortage.

IPv6 also improves how modern networks run by supporting more efficient routing and smoother scaling as the Internet grows. While IPv4 is still widely used, IPv6 is the long-term standard for new devices and networks.