what is my IP address?

  An   Internet Protocol address   ( IP address ) is a numerical label such as   192.0.2.1   that is assigned to a device connected to a   computer network   that uses the   Internet Protocol   for communication. [ 1 ] [ 2 ]   IP addresses serve two main functions: network interface   identification , and location   addressing . Internet Protocol version 4  (IPv4) was the first standalone specification for the IP address, and has been in use since 1983. [ 2 ]  IPv4 addresses are defined as a  32-bit  number, which became too small to provide enough addresses as the internet grew, leading to  IPv4 address exhaustion  over the 2010s. Its designated successor,  IPv6 , uses 128 bits for the IP address, giving it a larger  address space . [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ]  Although  IPv6 deployment  has been ongoing since the mid-2000s, both IPv4 and IPv6 are still used side-by-side as of 2025....