IP address FAQ: public IP, location and VPNs.
Read the IP address FAQ for clear answers about public IP visibility, location accuracy, changing addresses, VPN checks, privacy, and network tools.
What is the IP shown on the homepage?
It is the source address that reached this server. A router, carrier gateway, company network, proxy, or VPN may be presenting it on your device's behalf.
Do you store the addresses people check?
The application does not create a lookup history or user profile. Infrastructure providers may keep short-lived security logs; the privacy page describes that boundary.
Can the result locate my home?
No. Public IP location is an estimate based on network data. Coordinates often represent a city center or provider facility, not a device.
Why did my address change?
Residential and mobile providers commonly use leases or shared gateways. Reconnecting, moving between networks, or enabling a VPN can change the public address.
How do I tell whether my VPN is active?
Record the visible address and provider before connecting, then compare after connection. A different expected provider is useful evidence, but a browser-only test cannot certify every part of a VPN setup.
Can I use the generated IP addresses as real targets?
No. They are random syntactically valid examples. Do not assume an address is unused or that you have permission to probe it.
Send the exact result and what you expected.
Useful reports include the page URL, time, browser, and a redacted screenshot. Never send passwords or full private email headers.
Contact the deskA decision guide for the questions behind an IP check
Frequently asked questions often compress several different mechanisms into one sentence. “Where am I?” can mean browser GPS, an IP database estimate, or the city where a carrier exits. “Is my VPN working?” can mean that the visible web address changed, that DNS follows the tunnel, or that every application is protected. The answers above begin the distinction; this guide shows which evidence resolves each version of the question.
When the address is unfamiliar
An unfamiliar address is not automatically evidence of interception. Home providers can rotate leases, mobile carriers can share gateways, employers can route traffic through a central edge, and privacy services intentionally use their own exits. Confirm the active connection and capture the provider label, time, and address. Compare the result after one controlled network change. If the expected VPN exit does not appear, inspect the client state and provider documentation. Do not use a location label or reverse hostname to identify a person behind the connection.
When the location looks wrong
The site does not request device geolocation. A map pin comes from an external estimate associated with a public network block. It may represent a city center, provider facility, gateway, registration address, or dataset best guess. Compare broad country or region context before focusing on a city. A wrong estimate can affect content localization, fraud systems, or streaming access, but correcting it belongs with the database or network operator. The result cannot be converted into exact coordinates for a household or device.
When a lookup returns no name or owner
Reverse DNS is optional, so many valid addresses have no pointer record. A returned hostname may describe infrastructure rather than a customer. Registration and routing sources can also use parent organizations, subsidiaries, resellers, or hosting networks. Missing enrichment is an honest absence, not proof that the address is invalid. Validate syntax and scope first, check the relevant registry if ownership is operationally important, and preserve the exact time because assignments and routes can change after the observation.
When the question is really about privacy
An IP address is only one signal available to a site. Accounts, cookies, browser storage, device characteristics, and behavior can remain linkable when the address changes. Private browsing mainly separates local browser state for a session; it does not hide traffic from the network or destination. A VPN changes the visible exit and shifts part of the trust relationship to its operator. Define the party and information you are concerned about before choosing a control, then test only the part a browser page can actually observe.
A practical reading sequence
| Starting point | Reasonable use | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Can this locate me? | Broad network estimate only | Device permission and GPS are separate |
| Is the VPN active? | Compare expected visible exit | Also inspect DNS and application routing |
| Who used this IP? | Not answerable from public lookup alone | Provider records and lawful process may be required |
A repeatable answer also needs a time boundary. Addresses can be leased again, DNS records can age out of caches, VPN exits can rotate, and routes can move. Save the time and timezone with a result that matters. When comparing two checks, keep the same page and input so the changed condition remains visible. Old screenshots without time, method, or network context are weak evidence even when the displayed number is accurate.