An IP address is an Internet Protocol address that is used to identify different devices on a network. It is like a postal address for various devices. IP addresses act as an identifier that sends information between devices on a network. Your IP address contains your device location and information required for communication.
Coming to your question ‘What is my Private IP address?’, private IP addresses are designated for use within internal networks and are not accessible from the internet. They are assigned by devices like routers, which use network address translation (NAT) to manage the traffic within the network.
Two types of IP addresses exist: IPv4 and IPv6. Private IP addresses were first established to help reduce the depletion of IPv4 addresses, which are limited in number. Despite the large pool of 4,294,967,296 addresses made possible by the 32-bit system, the IPv4 address space began to shrink owing to the rush of new Internet-connected devices in both home and business settings.
Routers can allocate private addresses using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) or manually set them, allowing addresses to communicate via the router. Moving forward, you’ll find more details about private IP address and how do I find my private IP address on my device.
What is a Private IP Address Used For?
A Private IP address is used in home and business networks to maintain privacy and prevent visibility from external networks. Internet service providers (ISPs) may assign a single routable IPv4 address to residential customers, which is then translated into multiple IP private addresses using a network address translator/port address translator gateway. This allows multiple devices to share the address.
In corporate networks, private IP addresses enhance security by making it difficult for external hosts to connect to internal systems. Organizations use private IP addresses to restrict internet access for internal users, further strengthening security measures.
How to Find Your Private IP Address
Although it has taken some time, here’s the answer to your main query i.e., ‘What is my private IP address’. Below I have highlighted how you can find your private IP address on various devices including Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Android, and iOS.
Find your IP address on Windows
To find your private IP address on a Windows PC, follow the steps below. It works on all Windows platforms, including Windows 10.
- Look up “cmd” using the Windows search bar.
- Open the command line prompt and enter “ipconfig“.
- Check the private IP address displayed.
Find your IP address on macOS
If you are a Macbook or iMac user, you can also find your IP address, just like in Windows. There is no such thing as a random IP address; your IP address identifies you on the internet. Many Mac users do not know how to find IP address on Mac.
Follow the steps below:
- Click Apple logo
- Head to System Preferences > click Network
- Select the network you are connected to > on the right, look under Status
- You will see your private IP address listed underneath.
Find your IP address on Linux
If you have a Linux Ubuntu distro, you can check your IP address by following steps:
- Go to Activities (top-left)
- Type ‘Network‘
- Click Settings next to your connection
- You will see your IP address (‘IPv4 Address) in the popup window under the Details tab.
If you are using other Linux distros, you can find your IP address using Terminal, as follows:
- Open Terminal (Press Ctrl+Alt+T)
- Type this command and press enter: ip addr show
- In the results, look for ‘inet’ line (it will be under ‘link/ether’)
- The first 4 digits following the ‘inet’ line are your private IP.
Find your IP address on ChromeOS
Here is how to see private IP address on ChromeOS:
- Select Launcher.
- Type ‘Settings’ > press Settings cog that pops up.
- Under Network, you can see the active network that you are connected to. Click on it.
- Under ‘Known Networks,’ click your active network again.
- It will display options related to your network, including your ‘IP address’ (this shows your private IP address).
Find your IP address on Android
On Android devices, you can find your private IP address from Settings. Follow the steps below to find your IP address on Android devices, including smartphones. I am using a Samsung smartphone.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Under Settings, go to Wi-Fi.
- Click on the network you are connected to.
- Your private IP will be visible below.
Find your IP address on iOS
If you have an iPhone or an iPad, follow these steps below to find out how to get private IP address on iOS devices:
- Navigate to Settings.
- Click on Wi-Fi.
- On the network, you are connected to click the ‘i’ icon.
- Scroll down, and you can see your private IP address.
What Are the Different Private IP Address Ranges?
Private IP addressing encompasses both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. Here are the different ranges for private IP addresses:
For IPv4:
- Class A IP addresses: From 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255, this class provides a large network configuration with 8 bits for the network and 24 bits for hosts.
- Class B IP addresses: From 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255, this class offers a medium-sized network configuration with 16 bits for both the network and the hosts.
- Class C IP addresses: From 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255, this class is suitable for smaller networks, featuring 24 bits for the network and 8 bits for hosts.
Private IP addresses can be reused across multiple private networks without issues, giving the impression of a relatively small range. In contrast, public IP addresses must be unique and globally recognizable.
For IPv6:
- The fc00::/7 address block: Reserved by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for special local addresses.
- The fec0::/10 address block: Intended for deprecating site-local addresses.
IPv6 addresses are written in hexadecimal, consisting of 32 hexadecimal digits grouped into eight blocks of four numbers each.
What’s the Difference Between Public and Private IP Addresses?
The difference between the two types of IP addresses, public and private, is as follows:
| Features | Public IP Address | Private IP Address |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned by | A random IP address provided by your internet service provider (ISP) | Assigned to your device directly by the network router |
| Purpose | Allows your network to be accessible over the internet | Intended for internal use within your local network |
| Visibility | Visible and accessible through the internet | Not visible or accessible from the internet |
| Used for | Used to locate your device on the internet | Allows other devices that are connected to your router to communicate with your device |
Wondering what my private IP address is? Here, I’ll help you out:
Hide Your Private IP Address
Now that you can answer ‘What is my private IP address,’ it’s time to move on to the next main question, i.e., how to find your IP address. Your IP address identifies you online, and your ISP, government agencies, and hackers can see what you are doing online by tracking your IP address.
Therefore, to maintain your online privacy, you can hide your IP address from external factors. Here are my recommended 8 tips to hide your IP address:
- Utilize a VPN: Mask your IP address by using a reliable VPN service like ExpressVPN.
- Employ a proxy: Hide your IP address by routing your internet traffic through a proxy server.
- Utilize Tor: Access the internet anonymously using the Tor network to hide your IP address.
- Connect to a different network: Change your IP address to a different network or Wi-Fi.
- Request an IP address change from your ISP: Contact your internet service provider and ask them to assign you a new IP address.
- Reset your modem: Change your IP address by unplugging and reconnecting your modem.
- Use a NAT Firewall: Protect your private IP address using a NAT (Network Address Translation) firewall.
- Renew your IP address: Change your private IP address by renewing the IP lease on your device.
The best tool to hide your IP address is using a VPN. With the best VPN, you can connect to any server location, mask your real IP address, and get the IP address of another country. It will hide your physical location and sensitive information online.
My top recommendation is ExpressVPN. With this VPN, you get thousands of servers at your disposal. Moreover, no one can track you online, your visiting sites, and your browsing habits. Apart from these methods, you may also change the IP address from the command prompt.
You can learn more about it in my ExpressVPN review.
What is the Netmask?
The netmask serves to allow multiple devices to use the same IP address. It enables the identification of different devices by configuring them under different masks. As explained earlier, these masks are also responsible for dividing networks into various categories. The netmask determines the number of networks and hosts that can be created based on the type of private IP address.
Here are the netmask values for each IP class:
- Class A IP addresses: 255.0.0.0
- Class B IP addresses: 255.255.0.0
- Class C IP addresses: 255.255.255.0
The common netmask often encountered is 255.255.255.0, assigned to type C networks.
To simplify, the block of 255 represents the number of networks that can exist, while the numbers of 0 indicate the number of hosts. This means there can be 255 networks and 0 hosts. However, I can have 254 hosts in practical terms since one is reserved for broadcast (usually 192.168.1.255).
It’s important to note that the mentioned masks have been simplified. There are masks with different numbers, such as 255.252.0.0 or 255.255.255.128, which provide specific network configurations.
What are IPv4 and IPv6 IP Addresses?
IPv4 addresses are the familiar types of addresses that I commonly encounter. On the other hand, IPv6 addresses represent a new protocol designed to replace IPv4 due to the scarcity of available IPv4 addresses. Here’s an interesting fact:
IPv4 supports approximately 4.3 billion addresses, equivalent to 2^32 addresses. In contrast, IPv6 offers many addresses, specifically 3.4 x 10^38 (2^128). To put it into perspective, this is an enormous quantity, comparable to having around 6.67126144781401e+23 IP addresses for every square meter of the Earth’s surface.
Fascinating, isn’t it? IPv6 addresses are the future, or rather, the present. Their composition differs from that of IPv4 addresses, as they incorporate alphanumeric characters. Consequently, the combinations of IPv6 addresses are virtually limitless.
Different Countries IP Addresses
With these IP addresses, I could unblock content easily:
More Useful VPN Guides
- Xfinity IP address: Easily locate your Xfinity IP address with these simple instructions
- How to find Comcast IP address: Easily Find Your Comcast IP Address with This Guide.
FAQs: What’s My Private IP Address?
Is 172 a private IP address?
Yes, the IP address range starting with “172” is designated for private use. However, it’s important to note that only a portion of the “172” address range is reserved for private use. In contrast, the remaining addresses are public and can be routed on the global Internet.
When setting filters or configuring network settings, it is crucial to exercise caution to ensure that these private address ranges are appropriately excluded.
How can a private IP address connect to the Internet?
Certainly! Yes, there are some restrictions. Private IP addresses cannot be accessed directly from outside their local network. However, they can still access the internet by using Network Address Translation (NAT).
What are three private IP addresses?
According to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), the following three IP address ranges are for private use only:
| 24-bit block | 10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255 | single class A network |
| 20-bit block | 172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255 | 16 contiguous class B networks |
| 16-bit block | 192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255 | 256 contiguous class C networks |
Is 192.168 a private IP?
Yes, 192.168 is a private IP address. In fact, it is the most common private IP address in the world – so, don’t be surprised if you see a device or two or maybe even three with this IP address in your house.
What is my private IP address?
To find your private IP address on a Windows computer, first open the search bar and type “cmd” to launch the Command Prompt. Once the Command Prompt opens, type “ipconfig” and press Enter. This will display your private IP address along with other network information.
Can a private IP address give away your geographic location?
No, a private IP address cannot give away your geographic location. Private IP addresses are not tracked or restricted by websites and cannot be used to locate a user’s computer geographically. While regular IP addresses can reveal your general geolocation, they do not provide precise location information like a home address. IP addresses do not disclose your name, phone number, or other personal information.
Is it normal to see traffic on private IP address numbers?
Yes, it is normal to see traffic on private IP address numbers if you have a small home or office network. Routers and access points commonly use these numbers to assign to local computers within the network. Therefore, if you observe traffic from these IP addresses, it is likely that it represents computers within your internal network.
What does it mean if you see a private IP address number in the header of an email?
If you notice a private IP address number in the headers of an unsolicited email, it typically signifies the transit between servers within a corporate network or internet service provider (ISP).
It is important to note that these IP addresses do not help determine the origin of the email. To find the true origin, refer to the earliest “Received” mail header in the email.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the question “What is my Private IP address?” opens up a fascinating exploration into the world of internet protocols and digital communication. Moreover, I recommend vigilance in managing your private IP address to maintain network security. With the vast array of devices in modern homes and businesses, understanding the intricacies of IP management is paramount.
Private IP addresses are vital for internal network communications and offer protection from external threats. I suggest using quality VPN services like ExpressVPN to safeguard your online privacy further and mask your IP address effectively. Stay informed and proactive to ensure your digital presence remains secure and efficient.
