How to Find Out the IP Address and What it is For?
The Internet reflects the definitions of real life, and if in the passport of a citizen of the country in the registration we have a house and apartment number, the document of an Internet user has an IP address.
Since childhood, we are taught to remember where we live because it is imperative. It is not necessary to remember your IP address by heart, but in some situations, it is important to know where to find it. This article is about how to find out your IP address and why you should do it.
What is this address, and how do I know it?
The Internet is designed so that websites cannot be visited by who knows who and who knows where. This is undoubtedly a fascinating combination with anonymity and privacy policy, but the fact remains.
The IP address is the host’s network address through which one connects to the Internet. It should be noted that a computer (or another device) also has an IP address within the local network.
This address is represented by four integers (0 to 255) separated by dots. This form is a standard of protocol IPv4, which faces “competition” IPv6 and not without reason because IPv4 allows forming a relatively limited number of addresses (4 billion is also a limit). At the same time, IPv6 gives much more expansive possibilities. After we understand an IP address, we have to define it. The following are some ways to do this.
- Go to the Control Panel, select “Network and Sharing Center,” then click on your connection. Select “Information” and get all the necessary information in the window that opens.
- The second way is to use the command line. Press “Win+R” and write “cmd” in the input field. After pressing “Enter” in the command line, you have to write config and press “Enter” again.
- The third way is to use an online service. For example, if you go to IP Address Tracker, you can immediately see your IP address. Here you can also check your IP address. The information obtained will contain information about the ISP, including its physical address. You can also track down someone else’s IP address.
What can you find out by having someone else’s IP address?
Not very much. From the IP address, you can determine the ISP to which it belongs and the country and, at most, the city from where you accessed the Internet. Services can show the approximate location at the level of the settlement. However, not the fact that geolocation will be correct. You can check your IP.
Static and Dynamic IP
A person can live their whole life in one house, or they can travel around the world, constantly changing their residency. There are also two options for accessing the Internet.
- Static IP address. In this case, the user has the same IP address during each Internet session. The advantage of this approach is the possibility of remote access to the computer (via FTP-client). Its disadvantages are susceptibility to hacker attacks and relatively easy access to information about the user;
- Dynamic IP address. It assigns a new IP address to the user each time he accesses the Internet; the IP address is chosen from a fixed range. Your data is much safer, but you don’t want remote access to your computer.
How to make a permanent IP address?
Before obtaining a permanent IP, it is essential to understand the terminology that web admins use. A dedicated IP address is a permanent IP that a user gets from an ISP.
A “white” IP address is the one that a computer has on an outside network (as opposed to a “gray” one that is used on a local network). A permanent IP address is the one that remains the same each time you connect to a web. There are several ways to get one.
- Use an online service. Such resources provide software that will constantly update your IP address and change it to your specific one. In essence, the IP is conditionally permanent, but it gives all the same benefits;
- Get it from a provider. You may have to pay for this (and not once, but regularly). The permanent IP address you get needs to be configured. To do this, go to the connection settings and click on “Properties,” where we need “Internet Protocol Version 4”.
In the window that appears, select “Use the following address.” The same goes for DNS servers. Enter the data obtained from your ISP.
Before you make a permanent IP address, it is worth checking whether it is not already so. To do this, enter ipconfig/all at the command line and remember the value in the line IPv4-address. Then restart your computer and do the same. If the value does not change, you are the proud owner of a permanent IP address.
How to hide the IP address?
There are situations when a user needs (or just wants) to visit a site that is not available for the region in which he lives. Such restrictions may be related to the subject matter of the resource, which is contrary to the country’s laws.
Another case is when a person does not want to “publish” their data anywhere. In these situations, users are interested in hiding their IP addresses. Here are a few ways.
- Use a web proxy. Such online services allow you to replace your IP address with another one;
- Tor browser, which is a whole organization of proxy servers;
- Use a virtual private network (VPN). Such programs allow you to hide your IP address and ensure data security through encryption.
Conclusion
Thus, the IP address is relatively easy to find information on your computer or by using special online services. An IP address can be hidden by using one of the existing methods. This will allow you to keep information about yourself in secret and visit sites to which access is denied in your region (but you should remember that it is most likely closed for a reason).
