IP Address Basics
Everything you need to know about IP addresses — from fundamentals to advanced concepts. What they are, how they work, and why they matter.
What Is an IP Address?
Learn what IP addresses are, how they work, and why every device on the internet needs one.
5 min readPublic vs Private IP Addresses
Understand the difference between public and private IPs, RFC 1918 ranges, and how NAT connects them.
5 min readHow to Find Your IP Address
Step-by-step instructions to find your public and private IP on Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile.
4 min readIP Geolocation: How Accurate Is It Really?
Explore how IP geolocation works, its accuracy limitations, and why your IP might place you in the wrong city.
10 min readIP Reputation and Blacklists Explained
Understand how IP reputation scoring works, why addresses get blacklisted, and how to check and restore your IP's standing.
11 min readCarrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT): What It Means for You
Learn how ISPs use CGNAT to share public IPs among hundreds of customers and what it means for gaming, hosting, and privacy.
10 min readNetwork Address Translation (NAT) Explained
Learn how NAT translates private IP addresses to public ones, enabling millions of devices to share a single public IP.
8 min readIP Address Classes (A, B, C, D, E)
Understand the original classful IP addressing system with Class A through E, their ranges, and why CIDR replaced it.
7 min readLoopback & Localhost: 127.0.0.1 Explained
Understand the loopback interface, why 127.0.0.1 is special, and how localhost is used for local development and testing.
6 min readHow IP Addresses Are Assigned (IANA, RIRs, ISPs)
Trace the chain of IP address allocation from IANA to Regional Internet Registries to ISPs and finally to your device.
8 min readIP Spoofing: Risks and Prevention
Learn how attackers forge source IP addresses, the threats IP spoofing enables, and the defenses that protect against it.
7 min readWhat's My IP: How IP Detection Works
Discover how websites detect your IP address, the role of HTTP headers, proxies, VPNs, and what your IP reveals about you.
6 min readMulticast, Anycast, and Broadcast Explained
Learn the three methods of one-to-many communication in IP networks: multicast, anycast, and broadcast.
8 min readIPv4 Address Exhaustion: Causes and Solutions
Understand why the 4.3 billion IPv4 addresses ran out, the timeline of exhaustion, and the technologies extending IPv4's life.
8 min readIP Address Conflicts: Causes and Fixes
Learn what causes IP address conflicts on your network, how to diagnose them, and proven methods to resolve and prevent duplicate IP issues.
6 min readIPv4 Header Structure Explained
Break down the IPv4 packet header field by field, understanding version, TTL, protocol, checksum, and addressing fields.
9 min readIANA and IP Address Governance
Understand how IANA, ICANN, and the multistakeholder model govern IP address allocation and internet numbering resources.
7 min readRegional Internet Registries (ARIN, RIPE, APNIC)
Explore the five RIRs that manage IP address distribution globally, their service regions, policies, and WHOIS databases.
8 min readIP Address Privacy: What Your IP Reveals
Learn what personal information your IP address exposes, how it is used for tracking, and practical steps to protect your privacy.
7 min readIP Address Lookup: Best Tools and Databases
Discover the best tools and databases for looking up IP addresses, including WHOIS, geolocation services, and threat intelligence platforms.
7 min read