What is my IP address?

An IP address is a unique number assigned to your internet connection that lets data find its way to and from your devices. Every connection online has one. The public IP shown at the top of this page is the address the wider internet sees for you, assigned by your internet provider. Think of it as a return address that tells websites where to send the pages and files you request.

Your public IP is the single address your whole home network shares with the internet, assigned by your provider - it's the one shown above. A private IP (such as 192.168.1.24) is used only inside your home to identify each device on your own network, and the outside world never sees it. Your router sits between the two, sharing the one public address across all your devices.

A dynamic IP can change over time - when your router restarts or your provider refreshes its network. Most UK home connections use dynamic IPs. A static IP never changes and usually costs extra. Static IPs matter for hosting a website or server, remote access to a business network, viewing CCTV from afar, or allow-listing your connection with a service. Our static IP guide covers which UK providers offer them.

IPv4 is the original format (like 81.174.132.47) and the world ran out of new ones because there are only about 4.3 billion. IPv6 uses far longer addresses so there are effectively unlimited, future-proofing the internet as more devices come online. Most UK connections now run both at once - dual-stack - which is why you may see both an IPv4 and an IPv6 address above.

The IPv6 readiness card above tells you instantly. If an IPv6 address appears at the top of this page and the card shows "IPv6 enabled", your connection and device support it. If it shows only IPv4, either your provider hasn't enabled IPv6 on your line or it's switched off on your router. Most major UK providers now support IPv6, though rollout varies by network.

Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT) is when your provider shares one public IPv4 address between many customers to save on scarce addresses. It can block port forwarding, self-hosting, remote CCTV access and some online gaming. To check: compare the public IP at the top of this page with the WAN IP shown in your router's settings. If they differ, or your router's WAN IP starts with 100.64 to 100.127, you're behind CGNAT. UK mobile and 4G or 5G home broadband networks, satellite broadband, and some full-fibre altnet plans commonly use it. Many major fixed-line consumer plans still give a dedicated public IP, but always verify with your provider if inbound access matters to you.

It changes over time, so treat named lists with care. As a category guide: UK mobile and 4G or 5G home broadband networks commonly use CGNAT, as do many satellite broadband services, and a number of full-fibre altnet plans. Some fixed-line and most business plans still issue a dedicated public IP. If you need inbound access, ask a provider directly before switching, or check our static IP guide.

Your provider can see which websites you connect to and, unless a site uses encryption (almost all now use HTTPS), potentially more. They also handle the DNS lookups that turn website names into addresses, unless you've changed your DNS resolver. Using a privacy-focused DNS service or a VPN reduces what your provider can observe. Our free DNS filtering guide explains the options, including family-safe filtering.

Yes. A VPN routes your traffic through its own server, so websites see the VPN server's IP and location instead of your real one. To check it's working, note the IP at the top of this page with the VPN off, then turn the VPN on and reload - the IP and location should change to the VPN server's. If your real IP still shows, the VPN isn't fully active or is leaking.

IP-based location is an estimate from network routing data, not GPS. It typically points to your provider's local exchange or point of presence, which can be a town, or occasionally a city, away from where you actually are. Country is usually accurate; city is best-effort. It's completely normal for the location to be a little off, and it never reveals your street address.

Not much, on its own. Someone with your IP can see your rough geographic area and your internet provider. They cannot get your name, exact address, or into your devices simply by knowing it - your router's firewall blocks unsolicited connections by default. The main real-world nuisances are targeted advertising and, occasionally, connection-flooding aimed at gamers. Keeping your router firmware updated and firewall on covers the sensible basics.

Use the tabbed guide above for step-by-step instructions per device. In short: on Windows, run ipconfig in Command Prompt; on Mac, look under System Settings → Network → Details → TCP/IP; on iPhone, tap the ⓘ next to your Wi-Fi network; on Android, open your Wi-Fi network's details. Your local IP (like 192.168.1.24) is private to your home and differs from the public IP shown above.

Your router's address (its "default gateway") is usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. On Windows, run ipconfig and read the Default Gateway line; on Mac it's under Network → Details → TCP/IP → Router. It's also often printed on a label on the router itself. Type that address into your browser to reach the router's admin login.

Yes. Under UK GDPR and EU GDPR, an IP address is treated as an online identifier and therefore personal data, including dynamic IPs (established by the Court of Justice in Breyer v Germany, 2016). In California, the CCPA treats IP addresses as personal information when linkable to a household. That's why this tool shows your IP to you but does not log or store it.

The common ways are a VPN (routes your traffic through another server so sites see its IP), the Tor browser (free, but slower), or a proxy. Restarting your router can also change a dynamic IP over time. Each has trade-offs in speed and convenience. If your goal is simply better performance or a cheaper bill rather than privacy, it's worth first checking whether your broadband deal is still competitive.

Your DNS resolver is the service that translates website names (like broadbandswitch.uk) into IP addresses your device can reach. The DNS resolver card above shows which one you're using - your provider's default, or a third-party service like Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), Google (8.8.8.8) or Quad9. Which resolver you use affects speed and whether any network-level content filtering applies. Our DNS filtering guide explains how to switch.

No. This tool detects your IP in your browser and at the network edge purely to display it to you. We do not write it to a database, log it, or share it. The checker doesn't need cookies to work either. Because an IP is personal data under UK and EU GDPR, we deliberately keep zero footprint.