IP Address Lookup
Discover geolocation, ISP, security details, and network information for any IP address. Detect VPNs, proxies, and check threat levels instantly with real-time DNS lookup.
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Complete IP Address Lookup Guide: Find Location, ISP, and Security Details
Trace any IP address to discover geographic location, internet service provider, network ownership, security risks, VPN detection, and reverse DNS information. Perfect for cybersecurity analysts investigating threats, fraud prevention teams blocking suspicious activity, developers building location features, and network admins troubleshooting connectivity. Works with both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses instantly.
What is IP Address Lookup and How Does it Work?
IP address lookup (sometimes called IP geolocation, IP tracing, or IP intelligence) helps you find detailed information about any IPv4 or IPv6 address on the internet. Think of an IP address like a return address on an envelope - it tells you roughly where the sender is located, who their mail carrier is (ISP), and whether they're using a forwarding service (VPN/proxy). Organizations use this data to prevent credit card fraud, customize content by region, enforce geographic licensing, block malicious traffic, and comply with privacy regulations. Want to check your own address first? Try our What is My IP tool to see what others can learn about your connection. Learn technical details in the Wikipedia guide to geolocation software.
How Our IP Lookup Tool Works (Step-by-Step):
- 1. Format Validation: Verifies you've entered a valid IPv4 (like 8.8.8.8) or IPv6 (like 2001:4860:4860::8888) address format using regex patterns
- 2. GeoIP Database Lookup: Queries geolocation databases like MaxMind GeoIP2 or IP2Location that map IP ranges to physical locations
- 3. ASN & Network Owner: Identifies the Autonomous System Number (ASN) and organization that owns the IP block using RIPE routing data
- 4. Security Threat Check: Cross-references against threat intelligence feeds to detect known VPN providers, proxy servers, Tor exit nodes, and malicious IP addresses
- 5. Reverse DNS Query: Performs PTR record lookup to retrieve the hostname associated with the IP (useful for verifying mail servers and web hosts)
Information You'll Discover:
Why Businesses Use IP Lookup:
- ✓Fraud Prevention: Detect mismatches between billing address and IP location to flag stolen credit cards
- ✓Content Personalization: Show region-specific pricing, language, products, and shipping options automatically
- ✓Regulatory Compliance: Enforce GDPR cookie banners for EU visitors, block sanctioned countries, restrict exports
- ✓Security Monitoring: Track DDoS attack sources, identify botnet traffic, block known malicious IPs automatically
- ✓License Enforcement: Prevent VPN users from accessing geo-restricted content like streaming video or software
Real-World Use Cases: When to Lookup an IP Address
💳 E-Commerce Fraud Detection
Online retailers check if the customer's IP location matches their billing address country. A purchase from Nigeria with a US credit card triggers manual review or declines automatically. Payment processors like Stripe Radar, Braintree, and PayPal use IP geolocation as part of their fraud scoring algorithms.
Order #12345:
Billing: New York, USA
IP Address: 41.203.72.54 (Lagos, Nigeria)
Threat Score: 92/100 - VPN Detected
Action: Payment blocked, manual review requiredMonitor for logins from unusual locations. If someone normally logs in from London but suddenly appears in Moscow, require additional verification steps like 2FA codes or security questions
Document IP addresses, timestamps, and locations for every transaction. This evidence helps dispute fraudulent chargeback claims with card networks
🎬 Streaming & Content Licensing
Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer check your IP address to determine which content library you can access based on licensing agreements with studios
User IP: 45.76.133.201
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Content Library: Netflix Japan
Available: 5,472 titles
Blocked: 1,823 US-only titlesIdentify users trying to bypass geo-restrictions using commercial VPN services like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or residential proxies. Services maintain databases of known VPN IP ranges to enforce licensing
Sports streaming services block local games based on IP location to protect broadcast rights. For example, MLB.TV blacks out in-market games for viewers in the team's home region
🔒 Cybersecurity & Threat Intelligence
During distributed denial-of-service attacks, security teams analyze attacking IP addresses to identify patterns. Are they from a specific country? ASN? Datacenter? Tools like Cloudflare and Akamai Prolexic use IP intelligence to filter malicious traffic
Attack Analysis:
45% from AS4837 (China Unicom)
38% from datacenter IPs (botnet)
12% from Tor exit nodes
5% from residential proxies
Action: Block datacenter ASNs temporarilyLinux servers track failed SSH login attempts by IP address. After 3-5 failures from the same IP, tools like Fail2ban automatically block that IP for 24 hours
Security researchers identify command-and-control servers by looking up IP addresses found in malware network traffic. Hosting location helps determine jurisdiction for takedown requests
📊 Web Analytics & Marketing
Marketing teams use IP geolocation in Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, and Plausible to understand where traffic originates. Which countries should get translated landing pages? Where to run Facebook ads?
Display different hero images, testimonials, pricing (USD vs EUR), and calls-to-action based on visitor location. E-commerce sites show estimated shipping times and costs automatically
Identify fake traffic from datacenter IPs trying to inflate metrics. Real users come from residential ISPs like Comcast, AT&T, Verizon - not from Amazon AWS or DigitalOcean IP ranges
Industry-Specific Applications
Financial Services
- • Detect simultaneous logins from different countries (account sharing)
- • Block wire transfers to high-risk jurisdictions automatically
- • Verify ATM withdrawal location matches expected travel patterns
- • Flag cryptocurrency transactions from sanctioned regions
- • Comply with KYC/AML regulations by documenting access locations
SaaS & Cloud Software
- • Route users to nearest datacenter for lower latency (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- • Implement regional pricing (purchasing power parity)
- • Enforce export controls for sensitive technology (ITAR, EAR)
- • Detect license key sharing across company branches
- • Block access from embargoed countries (Cuba, Iran, North Korea)
Network Administration
- • Troubleshoot routing issues by tracing packet paths via subnet calculator
- • Verify BGP announcements and peering relationships
- • Identify unauthorized devices connecting to corporate VPN
- • Create firewall rules based on country or ASN blocks
- • Monitor for DNS hijacking by checking nameserver IPs
Real Examples: What an IP Lookup Reveals
Example 1: Looking Up Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8)
IP Address: 8.8.8.8
Type: IPv4 (Public)
Location:
City: Mountain View, California
Country: United States
Coordinates: 37.4056, -122.0775
Timezone: America/Los_Angeles
Network:
ISP: Google LLC
Organization: Google Cloud
ASN: AS15169
Security:
VPN/Proxy: No
Hosting: Yes (Datacenter IP)
Threat Level: Safe
DNS:
Hostname: dns.google
PTR Record: YesPurpose: This is one of Google's public DNS resolvers, used by millions to translate domain names to IP addresses.
Why Mountain View? While Google has DNS servers worldwide, the GeoIP database maps this IP to their headquarters location.
ASN15169: All Google services share this Autonomous System Number, making it easy to identify Google-owned infrastructure.
Hosting Flag: The "datacenter IP" flag indicates this isn't a residential user - it's server infrastructure.
Use Case: Network admins verify DNS settings by confirming the reverse hostname matches "dns.google".
Example 2: Detecting Fraudulent Transaction (VPN from Nigeria)
IP Address: 41.203.72.154
Type: IPv4 (Public)
Location:
City: Lagos
Country: Nigeria
Coordinates: 6.5244, 3.3792
Network:
ISP: MTN Nigeria
Organization: Mobile Network
ASN: AS29465
Security:
VPN Detected: Yes ⚠️
Proxy Type: Commercial VPN
VPN Provider: NordVPN
Hosting: No (Mobile Network)
Threat Score: 85/100 (High Risk)
Fraud Reports: 47 in last 30 days
DNS:
Hostname: None
PTR Record: NoScenario: Customer attempts to purchase $1,200 laptop with US credit card, but their IP shows Lagos, Nigeria.
Red Flags:
- Geographic mismatch (US card, Nigeria IP)
- VPN detected hiding real location
- High threat score from previous fraud reports
- Mobile ISP commonly used by scammers
- No reverse DNS (typical of dynamic IPs)
Recommended Action: Block transaction automatically or require additional verification (government ID photo, video call with cardholder).
Why Nigeria? Unfortunately, Nigeria has high rates of card-not-present fraud. Many legitimate businesses auto-decline orders from certain countries as risk mitigation.
Example 3: Typical Residential User (Comcast Home Internet)
IP Address: 98.207.143.22
Type: IPv4 (Public)
Location:
City: Chicago, Illinois
Country: United States
Coordinates: 41.8781, -87.6298
Timezone: America/Chicago
Network:
ISP: Comcast Cable
Organization: Residential Broadband
ASN: AS7922 (Comcast Cable Communications)
Security:
VPN/Proxy: No
Hosting: No
Threat Level: Low (Safe)
Fraud Score: 12/100
DNS:
Hostname: c-98-207-143-22.hsd1.il.comcast.net
PTR Record: YesProfile: This is a typical home internet user in Chicago on Comcast residential service.
Trust Indicators:
- Major residential ISP (Comcast serves 30M+ homes)
- No VPN or proxy detected
- Low fraud score based on historical data
- Valid reverse DNS with ISP pattern "hsd1.il.comcast.net"
- ASN7922 is well-known legitimate network
E-Commerce Treatment: If billing address is also in Chicago/Illinois area, this would pass fraud checks with flying colors.
Analytics Value: Knowing the visitor is from Chicago helps show relevant content - local weather, nearby store locations, Central Time shipping estimates.
Understanding Your IP Lookup Results
Geographic Location Data
📍 City & Country
Accuracy: Country is 95-99% accurate. City is 50-80% accurate (±25 mile radius)
Why not exact? ISPs own IP blocks covering large geographic areas. A Comcast IP might serve all of Chicago.
Example: IP shows "Los Angeles" but user could be
anywhere in LA County (4,700 sq miles, 10M people)🌍 Coordinates & Timezone
Latitude/Longitude: Approximate center point of the IP block's service area, not the user's exact location
Timezone: Highly accurate - useful for scheduling, showing local times, or detecting unusual login hours
Use Case: Send marketing emails at 9am recipient local time
instead of 3am by using timezone dataNetwork & ISP Information
🌐 ISP & Organization
ISP (Internet Service Provider): The company providing internet access - Comcast, Verizon, Deutsche Telekom, etc.
Organization: Sometimes differs from ISP. For example, a university might have Comcast service but show "MIT" as organization.
Fraud Detection: Residential ISPs (Comcast, AT&T)
are safer than hosting providers (AWS, DigitalOcean)🔢 ASN (Autonomous System Number)
What is it? Unique identifier for a network operated by one organization. Like a license plate for internet networks.
Why it matters: Block entire ASNs to stop abuse. If AS15169 (Google) is attacking you, something's wrong - it's likely spoofed.
Common ASNs: AS15169=Google, AS16509=Amazon
AS32934=Facebook, AS8075=MicrosoftSecurity & Threat Intelligence
🛡️ VPN/Proxy Detection
- • VPN: Commercial privacy services (NordVPN, ExpressVPN) or corporate VPNs
- • Proxy: HTTP/SOCKS proxies for anonymous browsing or scraping
- • Tor: Exit nodes from the Tor anonymity network
- • Detection Method: Databases of known VPN/proxy IP ranges updated daily
⚠️ Threat Scoring
- • 0-30: Low risk (typical residential users)
- • 31-70: Medium risk (datacenters, some VPNs)
- • 71-100: High risk (known fraud, botnets, Tor)
- • Based on: Historical abuse, fraud reports, spam blacklists
Best Practices for Using IP Lookup Data
Do's - Follow These Guidelines
- ✓Use Multiple Signals: Never rely on IP lookup alone for fraud detection. Combine with device fingerprinting, email verification, and purchase patterns
- ✓Document for Chargebacks: Log IP address, timestamp, and geolocation for every transaction to dispute fraudulent chargeback claims
- ✓Respect Privacy: Comply with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy laws. Don't store precise location data without consent
- ✓Update Databases Regularly: IP address assignments change. Use current GeoIP databases (MaxMind updates monthly)
- ✓Test Edge Cases: Verify your system handles IPv6, mobile networks, satellite internet, and corporate VPNs properly
- ✓Provide Override Options: Let legitimate users bypass geo-blocks by contacting support with proof of identity
Don'ts - Avoid These Mistakes
- ✗Don't Block All VPNs: Privacy-conscious legitimate customers use VPNs. Use as risk factor, not automatic block
- ✗Don't Assume Precision: IP geolocation accuracy varies. City-level is approximate, not GPS coordinates
- ✗Don't Discriminate Unfairly: Blocking entire countries can exclude legitimate customers and may violate anti-discrimination laws
- ✗Don't Ignore Mobile/Cellular: Mobile IPs often show carrier headquarters location, not user location
- ✗Don't Store Raw IP Indefinitely: Many privacy laws require deleting or anonymizing IP addresses after business purpose ends
- ✗Don't Forget IPv6: More than 30% of traffic is IPv6 now. Ensure your IP lookup handles both IPv4 and IPv6
Recommended Approaches by Use Case
💳 Fraud Detection
- ✓ Check country mismatch
- ✓ Flag VPN/proxy usage
- ✓ Review high threat scores
- ✓ Monitor velocity (logins/hour)
- ✗ Don't auto-block without review
🌍 Content Localization
- ✓ Show local currency/language
- ✓ Calculate shipping costs
- ✓ Display region-specific products
- ✓ Let users override location
- ✗ Don't hard-block VPN users
🔒 Security Monitoring
- ✓ Alert on unusual login locations
- ✓ Rate-limit by ASN
- ✓ Block known bot datacenters
- ✓ Log all access with IPs
- ✗ Don't rely solely on IP blocking
Frequently Asked Questions About IP Lookup
How accurate is IP geolocation?
Country level: 95-99% accurate. City level: 50-80% accurate within ±25 miles. Street address: Not possible from IP alone. The accuracy depends on how ISPs allocate IP addresses. Major cities with multiple datacenters are more accurate than rural areas. MaxMind's accuracy reports show country accuracy exceeds 99% but city accuracy varies by region (US ~80%, Asia ~60%).
Can someone hide their real IP address?
Yes, easily. People use VPNs (virtual private networks), proxy servers, Tor browser, or mobile hotspots to mask their true location. VPN services like NordVPN route traffic through servers in different countries - you might appear to be in Sweden while actually sitting in Canada. Our tool detects many common VPN/proxy services, but determined users can find undetected options. For high-security needs, combine IP analysis with device fingerprinting, behavioral analysis, and multi-factor authentication.
What's the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4: The traditional format (192.168.1.1) with 4.3 billion possible addresses. We ran out in 2011! IPv6: The newer format (2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334) with 340 undecillion addresses - enough to give every grain of sand on Earth an IP. About 35% of internet traffic now uses IPv6. Our tool supports both. Learn more in this IPv6 deployment guide from the Internet Society.
Is looking up IP addresses legal?
Yes, IP address lookup is completely legal for legitimate business purposes like fraud prevention, security, analytics, and content delivery. IP addresses are generally not considered "personal data" by themselves under GDPR unless combined with other identifiers. However, you must: (1) Have legitimate interest for processing. (2) Not use data for unlawful discrimination. (3) Follow data retention rules. (4) Respect opt-out requests. Consult a lawyer for compliance with specific regulations in your jurisdiction.
Why does my IP show a different city than where I am?
Several common reasons: (1) Your ISP's regional office is in that city, even though their service covers a wider area. (2) You're on mobile/cellular, which often shows the carrier's headquarters. (3) You're using a VPN, proxy, or corporate network that routes through another location. (4) The GeoIP database is outdated (ISPs reassign IP blocks). (5) You're using satellite internet, which may show the ground station location rather than your dish's location. For the most accurate location, use our What is My IP tool.
How often do IP addresses change?
Depends on the type: Residential ISPs: Use "dynamic IP" that changes every few days/weeks when your modem reboots. Business internet: Often have "static IP" that never changes. Mobile/cellular: Can change multiple times per day as you move between cell towers. VPNs: Change every time you connect. Datacenters: Servers typically have static IPs that don't change. If you need to track users across IP changes, use cookies, login sessions, or device fingerprinting instead of relying on IP address alone.
What's an ASN and why does it matter?
ASN (Autonomous System Number) is a unique identifier assigned to networks that route internet traffic. Think of it like a postal service code - AS15169 is Google, AS16509 is Amazon AWS. ASNs matter because: (1) Blocking an ASN blocks all IPs in that network (useful for stopping datacenter bots). (2) Identifies network ownership (helps verify if an IP belongs to a known organization). (3) Detects hosting providers vs residential ISPs (fraud prevention). (4) Troubleshoots routing issues (network admins check BGP routes by ASN). View all ASN assignments at IANA's official registry.
Can I use IP lookup to find someone's exact home address?
No. IP geolocation provides approximate city-level location, not street addresses. What you'll see is the city/region where the ISP's infrastructure is located, typically accurate within 25-100 miles. Law enforcement can subpoena ISPs for subscriber information tied to an IP address, but that requires legal authority and due process. Never use IP lookup for harassment, stalking, or doxxing - it's unethical, often illegal, and the data isn't accurate enough anyway. For legitimate needs like fraud investigations, work with law enforcement.
What's reverse DNS and why is it useful?
Reverse DNS (rDNS or PTR record) maps an IP address back to a hostname. For example, 8.8.8.8 reverse DNS is "dns.google". It's useful for: (1) Verifying mail servers (email providers check rDNS to prevent spam). (2) Identifying network owners (corporate networks often have descriptive hostnames). (3) Detecting hosting providers (hostnames like "ec2-xx.amazonaws.com" reveal AWS). (4) Troubleshooting connectivity (network engineers verify routing). Many home internet users won't have reverse DNS, showing just "No PTR record". Learn more about reverse DNS on Wikipedia.
How can I integrate IP lookup into my application?
For production applications, you'll want programmatic access rather than manual lookups. Options include: (1) MaxMind GeoIP2 downloadable databases (most popular, requires license). (2) ipapi.co REST API (easy integration, 30K free requests/month). (3) IPinfo.io API with threat intelligence. (4) IP2Location databases and APIs. Most services offer free tiers for development, paid plans for production scale. For low-volume testing, use our free web tool!
Advanced Tips and Integration Strategies
For Developers
- • Cache IP lookups: Store results for 24 hours to reduce API costs (IPs rarely change location)
- • Batch process: Look up IPs in bulk during off-peak hours for better rates
- • Handle IPv4-mapped IPv6: Convert ::ffff:192.0.2.1 to 192.0.2.1 before lookup
- • Validate input format: Use regex to catch typos before wasting API calls
- • Set timeouts: Don't let slow IP lookups block critical checkout flows
- • Use CDN edge functions: Do IP geolocation at Cloudflare/Fastly edge for instant results
For Business Users
- • Start with free tier: Test IP geolocation for your traffic patterns before paying
- • Monitor accuracy: Compare IP location against billing address to measure precision
- • Create whitelists: Allow known-good IPs (corporate offices, call centers) to bypass blocks
- • Review false positives: Check monthly how many legit customers you're blocking
- • Document policies: Write clear rules for which countries/ASNs to block and why
- • Train support staff: Teach team how to override geo-blocks for verified customers