Public IP vs Private IP: What’s the Difference?
A public IP address is used to communicate across the public internet and is normally visible to websites and online services. A private IP address is used inside a local network, such as a home or office network, and is not routed directly across the public internet.
Most connections use both at once: private addresses for the devices inside your network, and a public-facing address for the connection as a whole. The sections below explain how they fit together, what the common private ranges are, and how to find each kind of address.
What Is a Public IP Address?
A public IP address represents an internet-facing connection or network. It is normally assigned or provided through an ISP or another network provider, and it is the address that websites and internet services normally see when you connect to them.
Because of NAT, which is explained below, several devices can appear online through the same public IPv4 address. A public IP address also does not uniquely identify a person. It identifies a connection, which might be shared by a household, an office, or even many customers of the same provider.
Whether an address is public or private is a separate question from whether it is static or dynamic. A public address can be either: some stay the same for long periods, and others change from time to time. For the basics, see how IP addresses work.
What Is a Private IP Address?
Private IP addresses are used within local networks. Phones, computers, TVs, printers, and other devices connected to your router usually receive private addresses, often assigned automatically by the router.
Private IPv4 addresses are not routed directly across the public internet, and different, independent local networks can reuse the same private addresses without any problem. Some examples you might see are:
192.168.1.1010.0.0.25172.16.5.20
These are only examples. The addresses on your own network may be different.
Public IP vs Private IP: Key Differences
The table below gives a general comparison. Real networks can vary.
| Feature | Public IP | Private IP |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | Used for communication across the public internet | Used within a local network |
| Uniqueness | Must be managed so addresses do not conflict on the public internet, although one public IPv4 address can be shared by several devices or customers | Can be reused by different independent local networks |
| Assignment | Usually provided through an ISP or upstream network | Usually assigned by a router or DHCP server, or configured locally |
| Typical example | 203.0.113.25 (a documentation range) |
192.168.1.10 |
| Internet routing | Routable on the public internet, subject to routing and policy | Not routed directly on the public internet |
| Common use | Internet-facing communication | Communication within local networks |
What Are the Private IPv4 Address Ranges?
Three blocks of IPv4 addresses are set aside for private use (they are defined in a standard known as RFC 1918):
10.0.0.0/8, which covers10.0.0.0through10.255.255.255172.16.0.0/12, which covers172.16.0.0through172.31.255.255192.168.0.0/16, which covers192.168.0.0through192.168.255.255
Addresses inside these ranges can be reused on separate private networks, which is why thousands of unrelated homes can all have a device at 192.168.1.10.
Be careful with the middle range. Not every address that starts with 172 is private. Only 172.16.0.0 through 172.31.255.255 is. An address such as 172.32.0.1 is just outside that block, so it is not private.
How Does NAT Work?
Network Address Translation (NAT) is what lets private devices reach the internet. Imagine a home with these devices:
- Phone:
192.168.1.10 - Laptop:
192.168.1.20 - Smart TV:
192.168.1.30
When one of them contacts a website, the router can send the request out using the household's public-facing IPv4 address. The router keeps a table of which internal device made which connection. When the reply arrives, it checks the table and passes the data to the right device. To the website, all three devices appear to come from the same public address.
NAT is not a firewall and not a complete security system. It is a way of translating addresses. It may incidentally make unsolicited incoming connections harder, but you should not rely on it for protection. NAT is also not exclusive to IPv4, though IPv4 is where it is most common.
Can Multiple Devices Have the Same Public IP?
Yes. There are two common cases:
- Several devices behind one home or office router share its public IPv4 address, as described above.
- With carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), an ISP places its own NAT in front of many customers, so multiple subscribers can share public IPv4 address resources.
This means seeing the same public IP address does not necessarily mean two requests came from the same device or the same person.
Can Two Devices Have the Same Private IP?
On different private networks, yes. Two devices in unrelated homes can both use 192.168.1.10 without any problem, because those networks never meet directly.
On the same local network, it is a different story. If two devices use the same IPv4 address there, they can cause an address conflict, and one or both may lose connectivity, unless special networking behavior or configuration is involved. Routers normally prevent this by handing out each address only once.
Is a Public IP Address Your Exact Location?
No. A public IP address may allow geolocation databases to estimate your country, region, city, ISP or network, and ASN. It generally does not reveal an exact home address or precise physical location by itself.
The estimated location can point to a nearby city, ISP infrastructure, a network gateway, or another approximate area, and the data can be out of date. If you want to see what an IP lookup shows for your own connection, you can use the WhatIsMyIP homepage. Treat the location as a rough guide.
Does a VPN Change Your Public or Private IP?
When you use a VPN, websites normally see the VPN server's public IP address instead of your usual public-facing one. Your device's local address still exists inside your local network, and it usually stays the same.
VPN configurations differ, so not all of them behave identically. A VPN also does not guarantee anonymity, privacy, or security on its own.
Public vs Private IP and IPv6
The familiar private ranges above are IPv4 addresses. IPv6 works differently. Devices on IPv6 networks commonly have globally routable addresses, along with other addresses used for different scopes and purposes.
IPv6 does include Unique Local Addresses (ULA), which are intended for use within a site or network. At a high level they are used for local communication, but they should not be thought of as an exact equivalent of IPv4 private addressing. For a broader comparison, see IPv4 vs IPv6.
How to Find Your Public IP Address
WhatIsMyIP can display your current public IPv4 and IPv6 address when available. The address it shows is the one visible from the internet side of your connection. You can read more about the site on the About page, and see how information may be processed in the Privacy Policy.
How to Find Your Private IP Address
Your private (local) address is usually shown in your device's network settings. Here are general directions:
- Windows: open the network settings or the properties of your connection, and look for the IPv4 address.
- macOS: System Settings, then Network, then your active connection, then its details.
- Android: open the Wi-Fi or network details for the network you are connected to.
- iPhone and iPad: Settings, then Wi-Fi, then tap the information button next to the connected network.
Menu names can differ between operating system versions and devices. Note that this website does not try to find your private address, since ordinary web pages generally cannot reliably discover it.
Public IP vs Private IP: Which One Matters Online?
For normal web browsing, websites generally interact with the public-facing address associated with your connection. Private addresses mainly matter inside your own network, where they let your devices find each other and your router.
The two serve different purposes, and neither is simply better than the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a public and private IP address?
A public IP address is used to communicate across the public internet, while a private IP address is used inside a local network and is not routed directly on the public internet.
Is 192.168 a public or private IP?
Addresses starting with 192.168 are private. They belong to the 192.168.0.0/16 range.
Is 10.0.0.1 a private IP address?
Yes. It falls inside the private 10.0.0.0/8 range.
Is every 172 address private?
No. Only addresses from 172.16.0.0 through 172.31.255.255 are private.
Can two devices have the same public IP?
Yes. Devices behind the same router share its public IPv4 address, and with carrier-grade NAT, several customers can share one as well.
Can someone find my exact address from my public IP?
Not from the IP address alone. It usually points to an approximate area and does not reveal your street address.
Does a VPN change my private IP address?
Usually not. A VPN mainly changes the public address websites see, and your device's local address typically stays the same, though setups vary.
Can a website see my private IP address?
Ordinary websites normally see the public-facing IP address used for the connection, not your device's usual private address on your local network. Browser and network technologies and local permissions can vary, so this is a general rule rather than an absolute one.