An IP address is a number that identifies your device on a network, the same way a street address identifies your house

Every device that connects to the internet — your phone, laptop, printer, smart speaker — gets assigned a number called an IP address. This number tells other devices and servers where to send information back to you. Without it, data sent to your device would have nowhere to go.

Your home network works the same way. When you connect to your Wi-Fi, your router assigns your device a local IP address — something like 192.168.1.5. This is different from your public IP address, which is what websites and services see when you visit them. Your internet service provider (ISP) assigns your public IP address, and it identifies your entire home network to the outside world.

Think of it this way: your public IP address is like your home's street address. Your local IP address is like a room number inside that house. Websites see the street address. Devices inside your home network use the room numbers to find each other.

Key Takeaways

  • Your router assigns each device a local IP address so devices on your home network can find and communicate with each other.
  • Your public IP address is assigned by your ISP and is what the outside internet sees when your devices connect to websites or services.
  • Local IP addresses stay private to your home network; public IP addresses can be seen by anyone you connect to online.
  • Knowing your router's local IP address (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) lets you log in to change your Wi-Fi password or other settings.

How your router assigns local IP addresses

When you turn on a device and connect it to your Wi-Fi, your router automatically hands out a local IP address through a system called DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). The router keeps track of which addresses it has given out so it does not assign the same number twice. This happens in the background — you do not have to do anything.

Your router itself has a local IP address too, usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. This is the address you type into your browser when you want to log in and change your Wi-Fi password or other network settings. Every router manufacturer uses slightly different steps, but they all start with typing that address into your browser's address bar.

Local IP addresses change. If you restart your device or your router, your device might get assigned a different local IP address the next time it connects. This does not break anything — your router keeps track of what is connected and where to send data.

The difference between local and public IP addresses

Your local IP address never leaves your home network. It is only used by devices inside your house to talk to each other and to your router. Your printer, your phone, your laptop — they all use local IP addresses to share files and send data back and forth. This is why you can print from your phone to your home printer without the printer being connected to the internet.

Your public IP address is what the rest of the internet sees. When you visit a website, that website logs your public IP address in its server records. Your ISP assigns this address to your home network, and it is the same for all your devices — your phone, laptop, and smart TV all appear to come from the same public IP address when they connect to the outside internet.

Public IP addresses can change. Some ISPs assign a static IP address that stays the same, but most use dynamic IP addresses that change every few months or when you restart your modem. This is normal and does not affect how the internet works for you.

Why this matters for your home network security

Understanding IP addresses helps you spot problems and make better security choices. If you see a device on your network with a local IP address you do not recognize, that is a sign something unexpected has connected to your Wi-Fi — either a neighbor's device if your password is weak, or a device in your own home you forgot about.

Your public IP address is visible to every website you visit and every service you use. This is why using a VPN (virtual private network) can be useful if you want to hide your public IP address from websites. A VPN replaces your public IP address with the VPN service's IP address, so websites see the VPN's location instead of yours.

Your local IP addresses stay hidden from the outside internet because your router acts as a barrier. Websites cannot see inside your home network or the local IP addresses of your devices. This is one reason why a strong Wi-Fi password matters — it keeps strangers from connecting to your network and seeing those local addresses.

How to find your device's IP address

On Windows, open Command Prompt and type ipconfig. Look for "IPv4 Address" — that is your local IP address.

On Mac, go to System Preferences, click Network, select your Wi-Fi connection, and click Advanced. Your local IP address is listed under TCP/IP.

On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, tap Wi-Fi, tap the network you are connected to, and your IP address appears under the network name.

On Android, go to Settings, tap Wi-Fi, tap the network you are connected to, and scroll down to see your IP address.

You can also find your public IP address by typing "what is my IP" into any search engine. The search results will show you the public IP address your ISP assigned to your home network.

Static vs. dynamic local IP addresses

By default, your router assigns dynamic local IP addresses — they can change each time a device reconnects. For most people, this is fine. Your devices find each other using device names (like "my-printer" or "living-room-tv") rather than remembering specific numbers.

Some people set a static local IP address for devices like printers or security cameras. This means the device always gets the same local IP address, so you can always find it at the same number. You do this inside your router's settings, not on the device itself. If you have a printer that keeps disconnecting from your phone, assigning it a static IP address sometimes helps.

Static local IP addresses do not make your network less find. They are still private to your home network and invisible to the outside internet. The only downside is that if you set too many static addresses, you can run out of numbers for new devices to use — but this only happens if you have dozens of devices, which most homes do not.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone hack me if they know my public IP address?

Knowing your public IP address alone does not let someone hack into your devices or network. Your router has a firewall that blocks incoming connections from the internet unless you specifically allow them. However, your public IP address can be used to target you with certain attacks, which is why some people use a VPN to hide it.

Why does my device get a different IP address sometimes?

Your router assigns local IP addresses dynamically, so a device might get a different number each time it reconnects — especially if it was offline for a while. This is normal and does not cause problems. Device names stay the same, so your phone can still find your printer even if the printer's local IP address changed.

Is 192.168.1.1 always my router's address?

Most routers use 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1, but not all. If neither works, check the sticker on the back of your router or the manual. You can also restart your router and watch what address appears on your screen during startup.

Do I need to know my IP address to use the internet?

No. Your devices and router handle IP addresses automatically. You only need to know your router's local IP address if you want to log in and change settings like your Wi-Fi password. For everyday internet use, you never think about it.

What is IPv6 and do I need to worry about it?

IPv6 is a newer version of IP addresses that uses longer numbers because the world is running out of IPv4 addresses. Most home networks support both. You do not need to do anything — your router handles it automatically. Both work the same way from a security standpoint.