What an IP check shows
An IP check shows the address websites see when your browser connects, and what that address tells them about you. This one goes further: it lines up every other IP your browser exposes under your exit IP, so you can see whether they match.
| Field | Example | What sites do with it |
|---|---|---|
| IP address | 203.0.113.42 | What sites do with itRate limits, bans and account linking. Two accounts on one address look related. |
| Location | Chicago, United States | What sites do with itRegion locks, default language and currency, and a check against your browser's timezone. |
| Network (ASN) | AS64500 · Example Mobile | What sites do with itTells a site which company runs the address. An ASN is the number that identifies one network. |
| IP type | Mobile carrier | What sites do with itFraud and bot filters score by type: mobile, home ISP, datacenter or business. |
| IPv4 or IPv6 | 203.0.113.42 or 2001:db8::1 | What sites do with itA device can have both. Sites see each one as a separate address. |
| Timezone | America/Chicago | What sites do with itCompared with your browser's clock. A mismatch is a common sign of a proxy. |
How to read the address diff
Your exit IP sits on top. Every other address is set underneath on the same grid, so the octets line up like a code diff. Matching parts fade. Differing parts get a highlight.
- WebRTCSame as exit IP203.0.113.42
- HTTP/3 (QUIC)Same network203.0.113.77
- UDPDifferent network198.51.100.9
- Faded: the same as your exit IP.
- Amber: a different IP on the same network. Normal on mobile carriers.
- Red: a different network. A site can see a network other than the one you chose.
- Grey: a private address from inside your network. It never counts as a leak.
Why one browser can show several IPs
Websites see the address your web requests come from. Your browser also talks to the internet in other ways, and each one can take its own route.
- WebRTCAny page can ask the browser for the addresses it uses for calls. That includes your local network address and a public one learned from a STUN server.
- UDPWebRTC and many apps send UDP. Most proxies carry only TCP, so UDP can leave from your own connection.
- HTTP/3 (QUIC)HTTP/3 runs over UDP beside the usual TCP connection. We report its address separately from the UDP result.
- IPv6A device with IPv6 can reach sites over it, even when your proxy only handles IPv4.
We don't rely on what the browser says about itself. Our own servers record the address each packet arrives from, and results aren't stored. For a pass or leak verdict and fixes, run the proxy leak test. To test UDP on its own, use the UDP test.
IP types and how sites treat them
IP type is the label fraud systems read first. We read it from the network behind your address.
- Mobile carrierPhone networks. Many people share each address, so sites usually hesitate to block one and treat it as a real phone user.
- Home or business ISPA household connection from a broadband provider. Sites treat it as an ordinary visitor, but many accounts on one home address look linked.
- Datacenter or hostingServers rented from hosting companies. Real users rarely browse from them, so anti-bot systems score these ranges as high risk and many sites rate-limit or block them.
- Business networkOffices, schools and other organisations. Everyone inside shares one address, so sites expect several people behind it.
Why mobile IPs are shared
Mobile carriers have far fewer public IPv4 addresses than subscribers, so they put many phones behind a pool of shared addresses. This is carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT). A site can't tell you from the other people on the same address. It also explains why two of your channels can leave from neighbouring addresses in the pool: it is the same network, so the diff marks it amber, not red. How mobile proxies use this.
How accurate is IP location?
Country is usually right. City is often not. An IP location is a database estimate built from registry records, routing data and measurements, and it points at a network, not at your chair. A wrong city has a few common causes:
- Your provider routes traffic through a hub in another city.
- Mobile addresses often map to the carrier's regional gateway, not the town you are in.
- Address blocks get moved and resold, and databases lag behind.
- Lookup services use different data, so two of them can disagree.
What matters to a site is consistency. A city that is a little off is normal. A timezone that contradicts your browser clock is not, and the check compares the two for you.
How to change the IP sites see
Three common ways, each with a different result in the IP type field.
- Proxy
- Sends your traffic through another server, so sites see its address. Choose the network type you need. SOCKS5 proxies can also carry UDP.
- VPN
- Tunnels the whole device. Many people share each VPN address, and these often sit on hosting networks, so the type may read datacenter.
- Mobile proxy
- Exits on a carrier network, so the type reads Mobile carrier. Mobile proxies hold one address, and rotating mobile proxies change it.
A proxy changes the IP and nothing else. WebRTC, the browser timezone and IPv6 can still show your own details. Run the check with the proxy on and look for highlights in the diff.
IP check questions
What is my IP address?
Your public IP address is the address websites see when your browser connects. This page shows it at the top of the result, with its location, network (ASN) and type. It can differ from the address inside your home network, which is private.
Can someone find my home address from my IP?
Not from the address alone. An IP lookup gives a city or region at best. Only your internet provider can tie the address to a subscriber, and it normally shares that only through a legal request.
Why does my IP show a different city?
IP location is an estimate that points at your network, not your home. Providers route traffic through regional hubs, mobile addresses map to carrier gateways, and databases lag when address blocks move. Two lookup services can give two different cities.
What is the difference between a public and a private IP address?
A public IP address is unique on the internet and is what websites see. A private address, such as one starting 192.168, 10 or 172.16 to 172.31, only works inside your own network. WebRTC can expose a private address, and the diff shows it in grey.
Why did my IP address change?
Most providers hand out addresses that can change when your router restarts or your lease expires. On a phone, the address changes when you switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, or when the carrier moves you to another address in its pool. A VPN or proxy changes it on purpose.
How do I check my IP when I use a proxy?
Turn the proxy on in your browser or profile, then open this page. The top row shows the proxy's exit IP, its network and its type. If a row below it is highlighted, that channel left from a different address than the proxy.
What is an ASN?
An ASN, or autonomous system number, identifies one network run by one organisation, such as a carrier, a home internet provider or a hosting company. Sites use it to tell who runs an address and to group addresses from the same network.