What Is an IP Address?

What Is an IP Address?

An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique numerical label assigned to every device connected to a network. It serves two purposes: identifying the device and providing its location on the network. Every time you visit a website, your IP address is sent along with the request so the server knows where to send the response.

IPv4 vs IPv6

IPv4 addresses are the familiar four-number format, like 192.168.1.1. There are roughly 4.3 billion possible IPv4 addresses, and they have largely been exhausted.

IPv6 was created to solve this shortage. IPv6 addresses are much longer (e.g., 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334) and provide a virtually unlimited pool — over 340 undecillion addresses.

Most of the internet still runs on IPv4, but IPv6 adoption is growing steadily.

Public vs Private IPs

Your public IP is the address visible to the internet. Websites, services, and anyone you connect to can see it. It reveals your approximate geographic location and your ISP.

Private IPs are used within local networks (home, office) and are not visible externally. Common ranges include 192.168.x.x and 10.x.x.x.

How Proxies Mask Your IP

When you connect through a proxy server, the destination sees the proxy's IP address instead of yours. This hides your real location and identity. For the strongest protection, use an elite proxy or a SOCKS5 proxy with remote DNS to prevent DNS leaks.

Check what IP address websites see when you connect through a proxy using our proxy checker.