What is My IP Address?

IP, Internet Protocol, is the set of procedures by which data is sent and received through the internet. It is the way in which devices comunicate through the internet and with each other. Internet Protocol supports unique labeling or unique addressing of devices that communicate via the internet. Your IP address therefore is the unique numerical label for the device that is communicating via the internet and is typically assigned by the host network or by an administrator. An IP address is composed of a set of four numbers which are separated by a dot (XX.XXX.XXX.XX). This number is also referred to as a dotted quad.

The methods of IP Address assignment can be static or dynamic. A static IP address is sometimes referred to as fixed addressing because it remains unchanged as long as the device is in the local area network. Conversely, a dynamic IP address can be thought of as a "temporary address" in that the label or address is created at the time the connection is made. Typically, a home computer would have a dynamic IP address while an enterprise would have a static IP address.

Locating your IP address can be as simple as going to a website or going to the command prompt on your personal computer or laptop. An easy site to remember is the "What is My IP Address dot com" site. By just clicking on the website www.whatismyipaddress.com, your IP address and your location-including city, state, and country and internet host will be displayed. Other sites such as Tech Pro.net also display information about your IP address. The thought that just flashed across your brain is indeed correct: Your activity on the net and your location can be traced via your IP address-static or dynamic. Fear not, it is not a simple task for private individuals to obtain your private information. There are indeed laws to protect your privacy!

There are other routes for determining your IP address. If you use Windows and connect to the internet via a modem, a right-click on the connection icon and a click on status will display your current IP address. And, for Mozilla, there are add-ons available. These add-ons display the current IP address in the Firefox status bar. To display your IP address on your personal computer or laptop, follow the steps below. Your IP address, your host and other information about your internet connection will be displayed.

1. Click Start
2. In the Start bar type cmd
3. At the prompt type ipconfig/all