What Is My Public IP Address?

Whether you are looking for your WAN IP address or your LAN IP, you will need to know the IP address assigned to your computer. There are several different methods for finding your IP address, including NAT function and Geolocation databases. Regardless of which method you use, you should be able to find your public IP address in no time.

WAN IP

You might need to know your WAN IP address for many reasons. For example, if you’re using a school proxy or router to connect to the Internet, you’ll need to find your network’s WAN IP. You may also need to know your WAN IP to use peer-to-peer file sharing and video conferencing. Or, you may need it for troubleshooting with your ISP.

If you’re unsure how to find your WAN IP address, you’ll want to check your router’s manual. It should contain instructions that tell you how to choose the WAN IP. If you can’t find your manual, you can call your ISP and request that they send you a copy of your configuration. They can also help you find a new WAN IP address using a new router.

LAN IP

There are two types of IP addresses: public and private. Public IPs belong to devices connected to the Internet, while private IPs belong to devices that aren’t. For example, a LAN is a network that connects to the Internet via a router. The router will have a public IP address, while the devices on the network have a private one.

Public IPs are assigned to websites and mail servers. Private IP addresses are assigned to devices on a local network and are not visible to the Internet. This boosts the security of the devices. Each device on a LAN has its private IP address, but its public IP is the same for everyone.

NAT function

NAT is an Internet protocol function that allows a network to transform its public IP address into an internal private one. Firewalls and routers generally operate this function. There are several ways to configure NAT. The most common is the full-range NAT option, which uses all available ports. Another option is port-map, which reserves specific port ranges for use by the network. A third option is a symmetric port, which provides independent endpoint routing.

A NAT device will have a pool of IP addresses it will use when needed and then return to the pool when the user has finished. For example, if computer A needed to access the Internet, it would take a public IP address from the pool and hand it back to the pool when it was done. Then, the next time computer A needed a public IP address; it would take a different one from the pool. The number of available public IP addresses will limit the number of users.

Geolocation databases

Your public IP address is a unique number assigned to your computer by the Internet protocol (IP). It identifies your computer on the network and is used to communicate with other computers. IP addresses are currently limited to 4.3 billion, but with the advent of IPv6, the limit will be expanded to 128 bits. The IP address is found in the header of every IP packet. It reveals the geographical location of the sending host and the destination host. It can also be used to geolocate communicating with peers.

A private IP address is not readily available to websites and is used for private networks. For public networks, your public IP address is assigned by your ISP or Network Admin. A static IP address is available only if you have a VPN or a proxy server running on your computer.

Using a VPN or proxy server to hide your public IP address

Using a VPN or proxy server to hide your IP address is an easy way to keep your online activity private and anonymous. Proxies work by sitting between your device and the website you wish to visit. When you connect to a website through a proxy server, your Internet traffic will be redirected through another computer. A VPN or proxy server can help you unblock geo-restricted content and protect your privacy online.

Public IP addresses are recorded by ISPs and can be used to track your online activity. These records are kept for a long time and can be accessed by governments and private parties. For this reason, hiding your IP address if you’re doing anything illegal online, such as torrenting or P2P file sharing, is essential. However, this isn’t the only reason to use a VPN or proxy server.