Your public IP address identifies your Internet connection to websites and online services. A private IP address identifies a device inside a home, office or other local network. A router commonly connects the two using Network Address Translation, or NAT.
Your phone, computer, smart TV and other connected devices can use more than one IP address at the same time. This is not a mistake. Public and private addresses have different jobs and operate in different parts of a network.
Understanding the difference helps when configuring a router, troubleshooting Wi-Fi, connecting to a local device, hosting a service or checking what information a website can see about your connection.
Public vs private IP comparison
| Feature | Public IP address | Private IP address |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | Across the public Internet | Inside a local network |
| Usually assigned by | Your Internet service provider | Your router or network administrator |
| Visible to websites | Yes | Normally no |
| Must be globally unique | Yes, while publicly routed | No; separate networks can reuse it |
| Common purpose | Communicating with Internet services | Communicating with devices on the same network |
| Typical IPv4 example | 203.0.113.25 | 192.168.1.25 |
What is a public IP address?
A public IP address is used to send and receive traffic across the Internet. Your Internet service provider normally assigns it to your home router, mobile connection or business network. Websites see the public address from which your request reaches them.
A public address may be static or dynamic. A static address is intended to remain consistent, while a dynamic address can change. Most residential connections use dynamic public addresses, although policies vary by provider.
On some networks, particularly mobile networks, customers may share a public IPv4 address through carrier-grade NAT. In that situation, the public address is visible on the Internet but does not belong exclusively to one device or household.
What is a private IP address?
A private IP address identifies a device within a local network. Your router commonly assigns private addresses to laptops, phones, printers, game consoles and smart devices. These addresses are used for communication inside the local network and are not routed directly across the public Internet.
Because private addresses are not globally routed, separate homes and businesses can reuse the same ranges. Your laptop might use 192.168.1.25 at home while an unrelated device in another country uses the identical private address without creating a conflict.
Private IPv4 address ranges
Three IPv4 ranges are reserved for private networks:
10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255
172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255
192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255
An address beginning with 172 is not automatically private; only the portion from 172.16 through 172.31 belongs to the reserved private range. Addresses outside these ranges may have different purposes. These three blocks are defined by RFC 1918 .
Private, shared and local-only addresses are not the same
Some addresses look unusual but are not RFC 1918 private addresses. Identifying the range correctly can explain why port forwarding fails or why a device has no normal network connection.
| Range | Purpose | What it may tell you |
|---|---|---|
| 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16 | Private IPv4 | Normal inside homes, offices and private networks |
| 100.64.0.0/10 | Shared address space | Your provider may be using carrier-grade NAT |
| 169.254.0.0/16 | IPv4 link-local | The device may not have received an address from DHCP |
| 127.0.0.0/8 | Loopback | Traffic stays on the same device |
The 100.64.0.0/10 block is reserved as Shared Address Space for service-provider networks by RFC 6598 . It is commonly associated with carrier-grade NAT, or CGNAT, and should not be confused with the three private blocks above.
How does NAT connect private and public addresses?
Network Address Translation allows devices with private addresses to share a public IPv4 address. When a device sends traffic to the Internet, the router replaces the private source information with its public address and keeps track of the connection. When the response returns, the router sends it back to the correct local device.
- Your device sends a request using its private address.
- The router translates the request to the public address.
- The website responds to the public address.
- The router forwards the response to the correct device.
A NAT translation example with ports
Imagine a laptop at 192.168.1.20 opening an HTTPS connection from local port 51514. The router can translate that flow to public address and port 203.0.113.45:62001 before sending it to the website at 198.51.100.10:443. The router keeps a temporary mapping so the reply returns to the same laptop.
Translating both the address and port lets many local devices share one public IPv4 address at the same time. The public addresses in this example come from documentation ranges and do not identify a real customer or website.
NAT helps conserve IPv4 addresses, but it is not a complete security system. Your network should still use a firewall, secure router settings and updated software.
How to check whether your connection uses CGNAT
- Open your router's status page and note its WAN or Internet IPv4 address.
- Open the My IP checker and note the public IPv4 shown there.
- Compare the two values.
If the router's WAN address is inside 100.64.0.0/10, your provider is likely using CGNAT. If the router shows a different non-public address from the website, there is at least one more NAT layer upstream. A second router, VPN or managed building network can also produce a mismatch, so the comparison is an indicator rather than absolute proof.
Under CGNAT, a port-forwarding rule on your own router may not make a service reachable from the Internet. Ask the provider whether it offers a public IPv4 address, or use properly firewalled IPv6 or a trusted outbound tunnel when appropriate.
Static public IP and DHCP reservation solve different problems
A static public IP is normally supplied by the Internet provider and keeps the Internet-facing address stable. A DHCP reservation is configured on the local router and repeatedly gives one device the same private address. Reserving 192.168.1.50 for a printer does not make the home's public IP static.
Public and private concepts in IPv6
IPv6 usually does not use the same RFC 1918 ranges or depend on home NAT. A device may have several IPv6 addresses at once: a globally routable address for Internet communication, a link-local address beginning in fe80::/10, and sometimes a unique-local address from fc00::/7. Unique-local addressing is defined by RFC 4193 .
A globally routable IPv6 address does not mean the device is automatically open to unsolicited traffic. A correctly configured router firewall should still enforce inbound rules. Test and maintain firewall policies for both IPv4 and IPv6.
Are public and private IPs the same on every device?
Devices connected to the same home router commonly share one public IPv4 address while receiving different private addresses. For example, a phone might use 192.168.1.10 and a laptop 192.168.1.11, but websites may see the same public IPv4 address for both.
When the phone switches from Wi-Fi to cellular data, it leaves the home network and normally uses a different public connection. IPv6 can work differently because a device may receive one or more globally routable IPv6 addresses. Learn more in our IPv4 vs IPv6 guide .
How to find your public IP address
The simplest method is to use an IP-checking website. Your browser connects to the site, and the service displays the public address visible for that request.
Open the My IP checker to see your current public address, IP version, approximate location and Internet service provider.
A reproducible three-address check
For a clearer picture of your connection, record these three values while connected to the same Wi-Fi network:
- Device address: the IPv4 or IPv6 shown in the device's network settings.
- Router WAN address: the address shown on the router's Internet status page.
- Observed public address: the address displayed by the My IP checker.
In a typical IPv4 home network, the first value is private and the last is public. The middle value may match the public value, or it may reveal double NAT or CGNAT. Repeat the check after switching from Wi-Fi to cellular data or enabling a VPN; the observed public address should normally change because the traffic exits through a different network.
How to find your private IP address
The exact steps depend on the device. For complete instructions, see our guide to finding your IP address on any device .
Windows
Open Command Prompt, enter ipconfig and look for the IPv4 Address under the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter. You can also view network properties in Windows Settings.
macOS
Open System Settings, select Network, choose the active connection and view its details. The local IP address appears with the connection information.
Android
Open Settings, go to Wi-Fi or Network settings, select the connected network and look for IP address details. Menu names vary by device manufacturer and Android version.
iPhone and iPad
Open Settings, tap Wi-Fi and select the information button beside the connected network. The private address appears in the IPv4 Address section.
What causes a private IP address conflict?
Two devices can reuse the same private address on separate networks, but not normally on the same local network. If two devices on one LAN both use 192.168.1.25, traffic may reach the wrong device or fail intermittently. DHCP usually prevents this. When setting an address manually, keep it outside the automatic DHCP pool or create a reservation in the router.
Does a public IP reveal your exact location?
No. A public IP can often be associated with an approximate country, region or city, but it does not directly reveal a precise GPS position or exact home address. The result may reflect where the provider routes traffic rather than the physical location of the device.
Can a website see your private IP address?
During a normal website connection, the site sees the public address used to reach the Internet, not the private address assigned inside your local network. Private addresses are designed for local communication and are not routed across the public Internet.
That statement describes the network address received by the web server. A browser can expose additional local-network information only in specific circumstances, such as when you grant a permission, use a local-device feature or install an extension. Avoid granting unnecessary access to unfamiliar sites.
Public and private IP security
Knowing a public IP address does not automatically give someone access to a device. Routers and firewalls commonly block unsolicited inbound connections. However, exposed services, weak passwords, outdated software or incorrect port-forwarding rules can create risks.
- Keep routers and connected devices updated.
- Use strong and unique administrator passwords.
- Disable services and port forwarding you do not need.
- Keep the firewall enabled for IPv4 and IPv6.
- Avoid publishing connection details unnecessarily.