When you use the Internet, your device has a public search IP address, a string of numbers that is how websites identify you and know where to send data. It’s also how devices on the same local network connect, for example when you type Google into your web browser.
How to Search an IP Address: Tools and Techniques
your IP address doesn’t reveal your name, home address, or other personal information, it does tell someone – cybercriminals, social media sites and other companies looking to target you for marketing purposes – what city or region you are located in. That may not seem like a big deal but it can be annoying if you don’t want people to know where you live.
However, knowing your IP address location can also be beneficial to businesses. For example, IP geolocation data helps optimize online services by directing users to servers closest to them, which reduces website loading times and makes for a faster browsing experience. It also helps companies tailor content and offers to specific regions, which can be especially important for businesses that operate globally.
Using tools such as an IP grabber can be risky and violate privacy laws as they take your device’s public IP address without your permission. A much safer and more accurate method is to use a command prompt (Windows) or terminal application (Mac), launched from your Utilities folder or via the spotlight search. The command line is where you can run a simple test that determines an IP’s reachability on the network, called ping.