{"id":57569,"date":"2021-09-29T18:01:40","date_gmt":"2021-09-29T10:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=57569"},"modified":"2022-03-31T18:33:34","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T10:33:34","slug":"what-your-ip-reveals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/what-your-ip-reveals\/","title":{"rendered":"What Your IP Reveals About You"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our digital profile consists of more than just the pics we share and posts we like. Some things on the Intenet can reveal more details about you<\/a> and your life than your social media accounts.<\/p>\n

Your IP is one of them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this (hopefully enjoyable and educative) piece of writing, we\u2019ll cover the basic stuff about IP addresses. What they are, the kinds of IPs that exist, how you can check your IP address, and what information it reveals to the Intenet.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s an IP Address?<\/h2>\n

Some compare IPs to Social Security Numbers (SSN). But your IP, unlike SSN, changes with time and can be different depending on where you are. We\u2019d compare an IP to a person\u2019s home address, but on the Intenet. As people move throughout their lives, their addresses change. So do their IPs, although, much, much more often.<\/p>\n

Technologically speaking, an IP address is a number that uniquely identifies a device in a particular network. This network can be Wi-Fi, cellular, or even a local offline network.<\/p>\n

\"ip-address\"<\/figure>\n

Anatomy of An IP Address<\/h3>\n

Disclaimer: This article will cover IPv4 addresses \u2014 the most common IPs used today.<\/em><\/p>\n

A typical IPv4 address looks something like this \u2014 52.144.45.143<\/code>. It\u2019s divided into 4 blocks called octets, where the first three parts show the network address.<\/p>\n

They point to where the network is located and identify its class. The last decimal part is known as the host part. It identifies the device within the local network.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to make it clear. Let\u2019s say you have a Wi-Fi router at home. Your laptop, your smartphone, and possibly even your smart fridge are all connected to this Wi-Fi. All of them will have unique IP addresses with the same first three blocks of numbers.<\/p>\n

The last parts will be different as they identify each particular device.<\/p>\n

Types of IP Addresses<\/h3>\n

IP addresses can be private<\/em> or public<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A private IP address<\/strong> is assigned to each device in a local (read \u2014 offline) computer network. Private IPs are not connected to the Intenet, and you won\u2019t be able to connect to a device with its private IP address unless you\u2019re on the same local network. An example of a private IP address is an IP of a printer.<\/p>\n

Public IPs<\/strong> are the ones that make the world so cyberpunk-ish, as they identify all devices connected to the web. If a public IP address of a device on the same network doesn\u2019t change with time, it\u2019s called static. If it does, it\u2019s called dynamic.<\/p>\n

Easy, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

Where to Check Your IP Address?<\/h3>\n

Various services allow you to check your IP address. For example, you can do it on this website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"ip-address-finder\"<\/figure>\n

How Can Someone Find Out Your IP Address?<\/h2>\n

Now to the serious part. All websites and apps you use can see your IP address. As the IP is a person\u2019s primary identifier, it, in the wrong hands, can lead to a loss of identity, data, and hacking attacks.<\/p>\n

Your IP Is A Part of your Digital Footprint<\/h3>\n

Your digital footprint consists of all the data you leave on the Intenet, both knowingly and unknowingly. It also includes clicks, purchases, searches, and your IP address. Companies often use your IP \u201cconnect the dots\u201d between your actions on the web.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tHow to Delete Your Digital Footprint Completely<\/span><\/a>\n
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