Whats My IP, Public Ip, IPV6 & How To Check Them? [Free Tools Included]
Do you want to know your IP address? Here is a guide to whats my IP addresses, including free tools to help you check your IP address.
An IP address is a uniquely set number that is used to identify a network or internet device. These unique numbers are essential for the internet to operate.
They identify and connect devices to communicate with each other, whether within an internal network or an external network.
With IP addresses, we can communicate, browse, and connect online. Unfortunately, the IP system can sometimes be cumbersome for non-techy people.
In this article, we will learn about whats my IP is, the different IP addresses, and the latest version of IP addresses. We will also recommend reliable whats my IP tools.
Whats My IP Address?
While the main purpose of an IP address is to identify a device in a network, it also communicates critical information. Searching for ‘whats my IP’ can communicate information about your internet service provider, location, and sometimes your internet speed.
Regarding location, it can indicate your city, state, country, and sometimes postal region.
The main purpose of this information is not to identify your exact location but to provide other devices and networks with the necessary information to identify your device.
Versions of IP Addresses
IP addresses can be either of these two versions:
1. IPv4 Address
This is the most common IP addressing system available today. It has been the main IP system that drives internet connectivity since 1980.
The IPv4 protocol consists of 32 bits subdivided into four sections with 8 bits each. These octets represent a decimal number between 0 and 255.
So, there are over 4 billion combinations, and some of them have been reserved for private purposes.
When you search whats my IP address online or with your favorite ‘whats my IP’ tool, you will likely get an IPv4 address. Here is a real example of an IPv4 address:
41.90.65.150
2. IPv6 Address
Due to the limitations of the IPv4 addressing system, IPv6 was introduced in 1998.
The newest version of IP addressing uses a more expansive 128-bit address system. Below is an example of the new IP addressing system:
3001:0bd6:0010:0000:0000:ee00:0042:4798
As you can see from the above examples, the main difference between IPv6 and IPv4 is the number of bit addresses.
Why Was It Necessary to Introduce IPv6?
If the original version still works, you may wonder what the main reason was to introduce a lengthy addressing system.
True, there are over 4 billion potential IPv4 addresses, which might sound like a lot. But now that we have billions of devices, the IPv4 system will no longer support all these devices.
Let's use this illustration to paint a clearer picture. Today, we have more than 7.5 billion people. And as you know, most people have more than one device connected to the internet.
So with IPv4's 4 billion potential addresses, some devices would be left out. The rise of IoT complicates the situation further.
In simpler terms, the world is running short of IPv4 addresses. So, IPv6 came into the picture to fill this gap. Of course, many other technical reasons led to the introduction of IPv6. Here are just a few of them:
IPv6 has an additional built-in security layer (IPsec).
When compared to IPv4, IPv6 has bigger packet headers. In fact, it is almost twice as large as IPv4.
IPv6 has a built-in quality of service (QoS).
Multicasting is optional in IPv4 but is part of the base specification in IPv6.
Types of IP Addresses
IP addresses can be categorized into four main groups: private, public, static, and dynamic.
Static and dynamic addresses indicate the permanence of the address, while private and public indicate the location of the network. In this section, we will focus on public IP addresses.
Public IP Address
This form of internet addressing is what your ISP assigns to your device. Being public means that it is reachable via the Internet.
You should also note that the devices that usually have their own private IP addresses on a shared network will have public IP addresses when connected to the internet. Usually, these devices will be converted to the public IP address assigned to the router.
A public IP address system ensures that emails, websites, and other web content reach you as intended. Besides this, a public IP address lets users provide remote access to a machine and configure a server (in this case, it could be a VPN, FTP, and others), among many other benefits.
What's My Public IP Address?
There is more than one way to find out your IP address. But the easiest way to find an IP address is to ask Google. Several robust online tools will tell you your IP address.
Option 1: Use Free IP LookupTools
A simple search of ‘whats my IP' will give you several options. It can be daunting to go through each one of them. That is why we have recommended the best tools to help you check your public addresses, including IPv6 addresses.
This tool will help you find the IP location of an IP address. In other words, it will show you the country, state, city, zip code, time zone, and ISP of any IP.
When you visit this online tool, it will automatically display your IP address in the provided text field. If you need additional details, you will click on the Get IP Details button.
It is a red button beneath the text field. Besides the IP details, the tool provides the Google Maps direction of your ISP provider.
Another tool that will help you find out your IP address is FreeWebTools Whats My IP online tool. We like this tool because it is straightforward. It has clear options and buttons. It only has one text field where it displays your IP address.
In fact, it automatically displays your IP address as soon as you open the tool. You will know whether your IP is IPv4 or IPv6 based on its organization of strings.
To transfer the IP address from the tool to your device or wherever required, just click on the Copy button in the text field. Alternatively, you can highlight the IP address, right-click, and select copy.
This powerful IP lookup tool lets you get someone's IP address. If you can get a user's IPv4 or IPv6 address, you will have a clue as to where they are.
The best thing about this tool is that it provides several pieces of information about an IP address.
The information includes the country, IP’s hostname, region or state, city, ISP details, area code for that place, the latitude and longitude of the location, and any other services running on that IP.
Unfortunately, you won’t get the exact location, person’s name, phone number, or email address.
Duplichecker offers a series of IP tools. One of them is the What is My IP tool. This tool provides several critical pieces of information about your IP address.
Besides telling you the exact IP address, it will also give you details about the country, city, longitude and latitude, zip code, region, and time zone.
Option 2: Get Them from Your Device Settings
On a PC: If you are using a PC running Windows 10, you can search for your IP address on the taskbar. Specifically, go to WiFi or Ethernet, and then tap on the networks you are connected to. After that, choose Properties. Your IP address is listed next to the ‘IPv4 address’ section.
On a Mac: For Mac users, the easiest way to get your IP address is to visit the Apple menu and then choose System Preferences > Network. After that, choose either the WiFi or Ethernet option, depending on the connection you are using. Once you have done that, your Mac will display your IP address in a new window just beneath your connection status.
On iOS devices: If you use an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings and choose WiFi. After that, tap the arrow just beside your network name to display your IP address.
Android devices: If your smartphone or tablet runs on Android, you can check your IP address by visiting Settings. Within the Settings screen, choose Wireless & Networks (in some devices, it is named Network & Internet) and tap the WiFi network you are connected to. After that, your IP address will be shown alongside other network details.
Summing It Up
IP addresses are critical in facilitating communication between devices connected to the internet. These addresses can be categorized as private or public and presented numerically.
The beauty is that you can find more information about an IP address. To look up an IP address, use one of the above-recommended Whats My IP tools. Once you know your IP address, it is also important to protect it from potential hackers.
