---
title: "How to find your public IP address | ToolSugar"
description: "Find your public IP address and approximate country in one step, and learn why it differs from your computer's local address."
canonical: https://toolsugar.com/blog/how-to-find-your-ip-address
image: https://toolsugar.com/og.png
---

# How to find your public IP address

Updated 2026-11-09

To find your public IP address, ask a server which address your request came from. What Is My IP does this when the page opens. Your browser sends one request to the ToolSugar server, which reads the address and returns it with an approximate country. The server code does not store it. This is not a browser-only tool.

[Open What Is My IP](https://toolsugar.com/tools/what-is-my-ip)

## Check your public IP in four steps

No input is needed. The lookup runs by itself.

1. Open the page and wait a moment for the lookup to finish.
2. Read your public IP address and country.
3. Press Copy to take the address.
4. Reload the page after you switch network or VPN to check the new address.

## Public address or local address

Your router gets one public address from your provider. Every device at home shares it. Each device also has a local address such as 192.168.1.20, which only exists inside your network.

Websites see the public one. This page shows that address, not the local one, which you find in your system network settings.

## Why the country can be wrong

The country is approximate. It comes from a location database that maps the address to a country, and that data can be outdated or point to a provider hub far from you. Mobile networks and VPNs often show a country other than where you are. The address itself says little about your street or city. A provider may route thousands of homes through one gateway, so many people share the same visible address for a stretch of time. Companies and schools often share one address across hundreds of devices, which is why a site may block a whole building after one bad visitor. Use the result for a rough check and not as proof of where someone is.

## Confirm that a VPN works

Note your address with the VPN off. Switch it on, reload the page, and compare. If the address and country changed, websites now see the VPN server. If they did not, the VPN is not covering this traffic.

## When to share your IP address

Give it to a firewall admin who must allow your connection, or to a support team that asks for it. Home connections often change address after a router restart, so an allow-list entry can stop working. Ask your provider about a fixed address if a server must always accept you. For quick checks, copy the address from this page and paste it straight into the firewall field so you do not mistype a digit.

## Questions

### Is a public IP address private information?

It is shown to every site you visit. It points to your network and rough area, not your name or street address.

### Why do I see an IPv6 address?

Your network offers IPv6, a longer format with colons. Websites that support both may show either one.

### Will my IP address change?

It can. Many providers assign addresses that change when the router restarts or after some time.

### How do I find my local IP address?

On Windows, run ipconfig in Command Prompt and read the IPv4 Address line. On Linux, run hostname -I in a terminal. On a Mac or phone, open the Wi-Fi details in network settings.

[Open What Is My IP](https://toolsugar.com/tools/what-is-my-ip)

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