How does my IP address reveal information about my location?

The IP address allows ISPs and websites to understand where to send the requested information. It can be compared to a postal address - every packet of data sent over the Internet is accompanied by the IP addresses of the sender and the recipient.

Each Internet service provider has its own range of IP addresses that it gives out to subscribers. Since this information is public, you can use the IP address to track the location of your computer down to a city or neighborhood, and in some cases to a house or even an individual apartment.

Is it possible to hide a location by changing the IP address?

Yes. Just connect to the VPN. Your computer's public IP address will change to an IP address in another country or even another continent. A VPN encrypts all traffic and redirects it through a secure tunnel so that no one, not even your ISP, can track your Internet activity.

What is an IP address?

An IP address is a unique individual number that is assigned to all devices (including computers, tablets and smartphones) during an internet connection.

IPv4

IPv4 consists of four sets of 4 characters separated by dots - e.g. 192.168.0.1. If necessary, its length can be increased. Such a standard creates 3.4×10^38 possible unique combinations, which is enough for mankind "with reserve".

IPv6

IPv6 consists of four sets of 4 characters separated by a colon - for example, 3ffe:1900:fe21:4545. If necessary, its length can be increased. Such a standard creates 3.4×10^38 possible unique combinations, which is enough for mankind "with reserve".

Public and private IP addresses

They can be compared to a postal address. You can't receive an email from a friend if you don't give them your mailing address - and you can't download pictures and text from a website if you don't give them your IP address.

Not only do computers have public IP addresses, but also the servers where websites are stored. For readability, they are mapped to domain names. For example, one of Google's public IP addresses is 142.251.37.238. If you type it into your browser, you'll get a Google page. But it's much easier to remember the address "Google" than "142.251.37.238".

They are issued when you connect to a private network. Private IP addresses are used to transmit information within a private network without connecting to the Internet. A private IP address is issued within your home network, so it is not possible to access your computer from the external Internet. A public IP address is issued on an external network, so it is possible to access a computer by knowing it.

What can your IP address tell you about your internet connection and location?

City, Country, Region, Index

Websites can learn even more about you. They are able to compare data from IP address decryption with information from other tracking methods - cookies, tracking scripts, digital browser fingerprints, and website activity. Based on the information collected, a fairly detailed digital profile is generated.

Websites are able to piece together information about your location, your interests, the files you download, and even the people you communicate with. These digital profiles are very important to marketers. They can show you remarkably accurate targeted ads or suggest recommended content.

Internet service providers have access to even more information about you.

Since you are their customer, they know your real name, real address, phone number, bank card details and probably even more. ISPs can therefore restrict, censor and redirect your Internet activity simply by IP address.

In many countries, ISPs are required to keep logs of your online activity and share them with government agencies upon request. When you open sites that are not protected by HTTPS, the ISP can "see" specific pages and even content. But even HTTPS is not absolute protection - the ISP will still see the domain you opened.