Free IP Lookup & Geolocation Tool
Geolocate any IP address and find ISP details
What is IP Geolocation?
IP geolocation determines the geographic location of an internet-connected device using its IP address. ISPs assign IP addresses in regional blocks, allowing geolocation databases to estimate the country, city, and approximate coordinates associated with any public IP address.
IP geolocation is widely used for content localization, fraud detection, targeted advertising, compliance with regional regulations, and network diagnostics. While it can accurately identify the country and city in most cases, the precision varies -- it typically locates users to within a few miles of their actual location, not to an exact street address. You can trace the path to any IP using our Traceroute tool to see the network route, or look up DNS records to find domains associated with an IP address.
IPv4 vs IPv6 Comparison
| Feature | IPv4 | IPv6 |
|---|---|---|
| Address length | 32 bits | 128 bits |
| Format | Dotted decimal (e.g., 192.168.1.1) | Hexadecimal with colons (e.g., 2001:0db8::1) |
| Total addresses | ~4.3 billion | ~340 undecillion (3.4 x 10³&sup8;) |
| NAT required | Yes, commonly used | No, every device gets a public address |
| Built-in security | Optional (IPsec add-on) | Mandatory IPsec support |
Understanding Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs)
An Autonomous System Number (ASN) is a unique identifier assigned to a network or group of networks that operate under a single administrative domain and share a common routing policy. ASNs are essential to the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), which is the protocol that routes traffic between different networks on the internet.
Every ISP, cloud provider, large enterprise, and content delivery network has at least one ASN. For example, Google operates AS15169, and Cloudflare operates AS13335. When you look up an IP address, the ASN tells you which organization is responsible for that block of IP addresses and how traffic is routed to and from it. ASNs are assigned by Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) such as ARIN, RIPE NCC, and APNIC.
How IP Addresses Work
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a numerical label assigned to every device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. There are two versions in use today: IPv4 and IPv6.
IPv4 addresses consist of four numbers separated by dots (e.g., 192.168.1.1), each ranging from 0 to 255, providing approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses. Due to the rapid growth of internet-connected devices, IPv4 addresses have been largely exhausted, leading to the adoption of IPv6.
IPv6 addresses are 128-bit numbers written in hexadecimal and separated by colons (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334), providing a virtually unlimited number of unique addresses. IPv6 was designed to solve the address exhaustion problem and includes improvements for routing efficiency, security, and auto-configuration.
IP addresses can be either public or private. Public IP addresses are globally unique and routable on the internet, while private IP addresses (such as 10.x.x.x, 172.16-31.x.x, and 192.168.x.x) are used within local networks and are not directly accessible from the internet. Network Address Translation (NAT) allows multiple devices on a private network to share a single public IP address.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is IP geolocation?
IP geolocation is typically accurate to the city level, placing the estimated location within 25-50 miles of the actual location. Country-level accuracy is above 99%, while city-level accuracy ranges from 50-80% depending on the region and ISP. Mobile IP addresses and VPNs reduce accuracy significantly, and geolocation should never be relied upon for pinpointing an exact street address.
Can someone find my exact location from my IP?
No. An IP address reveals only an approximate geographic area, usually at the city or regional level. It does not expose your street address, name, or other personal information. Only your ISP can associate your IP address with your actual physical location, and they are required by law to protect that information. Using a VPN or proxy further obscures your location by masking your real IP address.
What is the difference between public and private IP addresses?
A public IP address is globally routable on the internet and uniquely identifies your network to the outside world. A private IP address (ranges like 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, and 192.168.0.0/16) is used only within your local network and is not reachable from the internet. Your router uses Network Address Translation (NAT) to allow all devices on your private network to share a single public IP address when accessing the internet.