What Is My IPv4 Address and How Do I Check It?
Find your public IPv4 address, tell it apart from IPv6 and private local addresses, and understand why websites may show a different IP than your device settings.
If you searched for "what is my IP address IPv4", you probably want one specific thing: the public IPv4 address websites can see right now.
Open FindMyIP.uk or the IP Address Lookup page and read the address shown at the top of the result. If it has four numbers separated by dots, such as 203.0.113.24, it is IPv4.
If it is much longer and uses colons, it is IPv6. That is normal too. Read how to check your IPv6 address if that is what you see.
What an IPv4 address looks like
IPv4 addresses use dotted decimal format:
203.0.113.24
Each part is a number from 0 to 255. Public IPv4 addresses are routable on the internet, unless they are in special documentation, private, loopback, or reserved ranges.
For examples and side-by-side differences, see IPv4 vs IPv6.
Why your device may show a different IPv4 address
Your laptop or phone may show an address like:
192.168.1.4210.0.0.23172.16.4.8
Those are private local addresses. They work inside your home, office, or mobile hotspot network. Websites do not normally see them.
The public IPv4 address is usually assigned to your router, carrier gateway, VPN exit, proxy, or workplace gateway. That is why a website can show one IPv4 address while your device settings show another.
How to check only IPv4
Use this quick workflow:
- Open IP Address Lookup.
- Look for a result with dotted IPv4 format.
- Check the ASN and provider so you know whether the address belongs to your ISP, mobile carrier, VPN, proxy, or hosting network.
- If you see IPv6 instead, compare with your IPv6 result and test from another network if needed.
Some networks prefer IPv6 when a site supports it. That does not mean IPv4 is gone. Your connection may still have IPv4 through NAT, CGNAT, or a translation layer.
Public IPv4 vs private IPv4
The difference matters:
- A public IPv4 address can be seen by websites and remote services.
- A private IPv4 address is used inside a local network.
- A carrier or router can put many private devices behind one public IPv4 address.
If you are looking at 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x, read private IP address lookup before trying to geolocate it.
Why IPv4 location can be wrong
IPv4 lookup can usually give country or provider context. City-level results are weaker.
Wrong-city results happen because the IP may point to:
- an ISP routing hub
- a mobile carrier gateway
- a VPN or proxy exit
- a corporate gateway
- an old location mapping for the range
For the map side of this, read IP address location map explained.
FAQ
Is my IPv4 address the same as my router address?
Usually no. Router admin pages often show local addresses such as 192.168.0.1. The public IPv4 address is the address outside websites can see.
Why do I see IPv6 instead of IPv4?
Your browser may be reaching the site over IPv6 because your network supports it. You may still have IPv4 through NAT or a carrier gateway.
Can two people share one public IPv4 address?
Yes. Home routers, offices, hotels, mobile carriers, VPNs, and proxies can put many users behind one public IPv4 address.
Does an IPv4 lookup show my exact home address?
No. IPv4 lookup gives network-level context such as provider, ASN, and approximate location. It is not a street-address lookup.
Continue reading
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