Guides
Short, plain-English explainers about IP addresses, networking, and online privacy.
What is an IP address?
A plain-English primer: how IP addresses work, public vs private, how yours is assigned, and what it can (and can't) reveal about you.
IPv4 vs IPv6: what's the difference?
The two versions of IP addressing compared — formats, address space, why IPv6 exists, dual-stack, and how to see which one you're using.
Public vs private IP addresses
Why you have two addresses at once, the private ranges like 192.168.x.x, how NAT works, and how to find each one.
Static vs dynamic IP addresses
What the difference is, why most home connections are dynamic, the pros and cons, and how to get a static IP.
How to find your local IP address
Step-by-step for Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone and Android — plus how to find your router's IP.
How to change your IP address
Change your public IP with a VPN, mobile data or a router restart, and renew your local IP — with how to verify it.
What is a DNS server?
How DNS turns domain names into IP addresses, recursive vs authoritative servers, record types, and public resolvers.
What is localhost & 127.0.0.1?
The loopback address explained: what it does, why developers use it, plus ::1 and 0.0.0.0.
How to hide your IP address
An honest look at VPNs, proxies, and Tor — what each actually does, the trade-offs, and how to verify your IP really changed.
Can someone find me from my IP?
An honest look at what an IP really reveals about your location and identity, the real risks, and how to protect yourself.
Reference
Private IP address ranges
The RFC 1918 ranges — 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12 and 192.168.0.0/16 — with spans, counts and how private IPs work.
Common network ports
A reference of common TCP/UDP ports — HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, DNS and more — plus how ports and port ranges work.
Reserved & special-use IPs
Reserved IPv4 and IPv6 ranges — loopback, private, link-local, documentation and multicast — with their purpose.
Looking for interactive tools? Try the network tools — user-agent viewer, subnet calculator, WebRTC leak test and more.