What is IP Location?

What is an IP address?

The IP (Internet Protocol) address is the numeric identifier each device receives to communicate on a network. It is thanks to it that data packets know where they came from and where they should go — without an IP, your computer or phone simply could not browse the internet.

IPv4 and IPv6

Two versions of the protocol are in use today. IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses in the format 200.147.35.149, which allows about 4.3 billion combinations — a number that has already run out given the growth of the internet. IPv6 was created to solve this limitation: with 128 bits and a format like 2804:14c:87::1, it offers a practically inexhaustible amount of addresses. IPSearch locates addresses of both versions.

How does an IP become a location?

Public IP addresses are not handed out at random: regional internet registries (such as ARIN in North America or LACNIC in Latin America) allocate blocks of addresses to providers and companies in each region. Geolocation databases cross-reference these allocations with routing information and other public sources to estimate in which country, state and city each block is used, and which provider (and its ASN — autonomous system number) operates it.

That is why IP location is a regional estimate: it indicates the area where the connection operates, not the exact physical address of a person. VPNs, proxies and mobile networks can make an IP appear in a different city — or even country — from the real one.

What is IP geolocation used for?

• Content personalization — websites can display language, currency and offers according to the visitor's region.
• Security — detecting suspicious access, such as a login coming from an unexpected country.
• Fraud prevention — comparing the IP location with data provided in registrations and payments.
• Geographic restrictions — complying with content licensing rules by region.
• Audience analysis — understanding where the visitors of a site or service come from.

How to find out what is my IP right now

No install and no sign-up needed: just open the IPSearch home page, where the search field is already filled with your public IP address. Click "Locate IP" to see the country, state, city, provider and its approximate location on the map.