Look up an address
See the location, provider and network that databases associate with an address:
How good is each level
| Level | Reliability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Country | High | Right in the large majority of cases. Wrong mainly for VPNs, satellite links and some multinational networks. |
| Region or state | Medium | Better for fixed broadband than for mobile data. |
| City | Varies | Often the provider's regional hub, which can be a long way from the user. |
| Street or household | Not possible | An address doesn't carry it. Only the provider can link an address to a customer. |
| Network operator (ASN) | High | The most dependable part of any result. |
Where the data comes from
- Registry records. The regional internet registries record who holds each address block, usually with the owner's country. See IP WHOIS for that record.
- Routing and measurement. Providers publish which networks announce an address block, and data companies measure delays to place addresses.
- Submitted data. Apps and users report locations that databases combine.
Each database blends these differently, so two lookups of the same address can disagree.
Why the location is wrong
- Provider hubs. Many internet providers route a whole region through one place, and databases place addresses there.
- Mobile data. Carriers often share one address among many customers across a wide area (CGNAT).
- VPNs and proxies. You appear where the server is.
- Moved blocks. Addresses are sold and reassigned faster than databases update.
- Company networks. An office may show the head office's city.
What an IP lookup is good for
- Finding which provider or company runs an address, and in which country.
- Telling a hosting or cloud address from a home connection.
- Rough regional personalisation, such as language or currency, never anything that needs precision.
To see your own address first, read how to find your IP address. How IPv4 and IPv6 addresses differ is in IPv4 vs IPv6.