Your local IP is defined by your router, which assigns a unique local IP address to each device on your home network, such as your computers, phones, tablets, smart devices, etc. When you type in a website you’d like to visit, your IP address is sent along with that request. It’s how they determine who (out of all their customers) is requesting a specific website and send it along accordingly. Your public IP is assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to your home network. If you already know the difference, skip directly to our sections on how to find your public IP and how to find your local IP now.
Just like the postal service uses your home address to deliver packages, website servers use your unique IP address (often referred to simply as an “IP”) to send the data you request (in the form of a website) to your device.īefore we get into how to find your IP address, it’s important to determine if you’re looking for a public (also called external) or a local (also called internal) IP address. IP addresses are also used to identify people.
