What is my IP

Welcome to BestVPN.co’s new IP checker tool. Here you can gain accurate info regarding your IP address, which is vital for receiving tech support from ISPs, creating a remote desktop connection, indulging in online gaming, or running an email server.

The tool will also inform whether or not your connection is secure. If you get the “private information is being exposed” message in red, it is a signal of an un-encrypted connection. This means, your identity and location is visible to anyone online.

If you use a VPN free from WebRTC/DNS/IP address leaks, you will get the “private information is secure” message in green. Other information offered by our tool includes state/region, city, country, browser, operating system, and screen resolution.

What is an IP Address?

Your Internet Protocol (IP) address is an exclusive number that allows internet-enabled devices to communicate with each other on a computer network. In layman terms, think of your IP as your residential address.

If you want to receive mail at home, you will have to enter the correct billing/mailing address (IP address) in your town/neighborhood (network). Otherwise, it will be impossible to receive bank statements, billings, etc.

Your IP address is no different. It is a number given by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), which allows for the connectivity to the digital world that is the internet. It can keep changing, but some ISPs give a permanent number too.

Domain Name System (DNS)

The Domain Name System (DNS) is an important component of your internet/LAN connection. It allows for the translation of your numeric IP address into words. Think of it as the phonebook of the internet that uses words than a series of numbers.

Where web browsers interact through IP addresses, DNS makes it easier for you to remember a web address name, such as bestvpn.co, netflix.com, en.wikipedia.org. Of course, you can use both the direct IPs or DNS to connect to a website server.

Dynamic IP Address

Your ISP or DHCP server, issues IP addresses from a pool of different numbers. This is to cater to the needs of different customers, as not all can use the same IP address. It can change at any time, depending on your ISP.

Static IP Address

Where dynamic IPs keep changing, static IPs are only available to you. In some cases, they are available for an additional price, as they give users the ability to setup their own email or web server. This is because it is fixed and will never change.

IP Version 4

IPv4 is the most used version by most network device, but due to its excessive usage, IPv4 addresses are running out quickly. It is limited to 4,294,967,296 addresses.

IP Version 5

Created for UNIX based systems, IPv4 is an experimental protocol that uses odd-numbered release conventions. It is not intended for use by the general public.

IP Version 6

Introduced as a replacement for IPv4 address. It has a huge number of unique address: 456,211,768,431,607,374,463,938,920,366,282,340 or 2^128.

What is a Public IP?

Your public IP address is the same one made available by your local ISP. It is used for connecting with various servers/devices through your internet connection.

What is a Local IP?

A local IP is a private address that is reserved for internal use behind a Network Address Translation (NAT) device or router. It is different than your public IP.

How Do I Locate My IP Address Manually?

On Windows, the process is quite simple. Go to “Network and Sharing Center”, click on “Change Adapter Settings”, right click on “Ethernet” and go to “Status” and “Details”. If you are connected to a wireless network, click on the Wi-Fi icon for info on the IP.

How Can I Secure My IP Address?

If you want to secure your IP address to receive digital anonymity, using a VPN is vital. It gives you a list of servers for selection. Once connected, you will receive a different IP address that is encrypted by military-grade AES-256-CBC encryption, if the VPN supports OpenVPN protocol. ‘

Best VPNs to Secure Your IP Address

Increasing your online privacy and protection revolves around selectin a reliable provider. You can see a list of recommendations on the best VPN services below that cloak your identity, bypass bans, and unblock streaming platforms like Netflix:

1. Surfshark – Priced at $1.99/mo. on a 2-year plan
2. NordVPN – Priced at $3.49/mo. on a 3-year plan
3. ExpressVPN – Priced at $6.67/mo. on a 15-months plan
4. PureVPN – Priced at $2.95/mo. on a 2-year plan
5. CyberGhost – Priced at $2.75/mo. on a 3-year plan

How Do I Find My VPN location?

Sometimes even after connecting a specified server, you need to make sure your VPN connection is secure. Your location should be the same as the VPN server connected. To check if your VPN protects your real locality, follow the steps below:

1. Use BestVPN.co’s What Is My IP tool and jot down your ISP-provided IP address.
2. Log into your VPN account and connect to a server in another country.
3. Visit the What Is My IP tool from BestVPN.co again and check the IP address
4. If you see a new address with zero information about your real locality, you are safe!

For further assessment of your safety with a VPN connection, use a WebRTC/DNS/IP address leak testing tool like browserleaks.com, IPleak.net, or dnsleaktest.com.