Every device that uses the internet at home has two kinds of address. The private IP identifies it inside your home network; the public IP identifies your whole network on the internet.
The short version
| Public IP | Private IP | |
|---|---|---|
| Who assigns it | Your internet provider | Your router (via DHCP) |
| Visible to | Every website and service you use | Only devices on your network |
| Unique | Worldwide | Only within your network |
| Example | 81.2.69.160 |
192.168.1.20 |
| Find it | Our home page | Your device's network settings |
Private IP address ranges
Three IPv4 ranges are reserved for private networks by RFC 1918. Routers on the internet will not forward traffic to them, so millions of homes can use the same addresses without conflict.
| Range | CIDR | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255 | 10.0.0.0/8 |
Large offices, some home routers |
| 172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255 | 172.16.0.0/12 |
Corporate networks, Docker |
| 192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255 | 192.168.0.0/16 |
Most home routers |
Other special ranges you may see:
127.0.0.0/8: localhost, your own device169.254.0.0/16: link-local, assigned when a device cannot reach a DHCP server100.64.0.0/10: shared address space used for carrier-grade NAT
For IPv6, the private equivalent is fc00::/7 (unique local addresses), and every interface also has a link-local fe80:: address.
How private and public addresses work together
Your router performs NAT (network address translation). When your laptop at 192.168.1.20 opens a website, the router replaces that private address with the public one and remembers which device asked. When the answer comes back, it forwards it to the right device.
This is why every device on your Wi-Fi shows the same public IP on our home page.
Which one should you share?
- Never worry about private IPs. They are meaningless outside your network.
- Your public IP is seen by every site you visit anyway. It reveals your provider and approximate location. Sharing it with a game server or a support technician is normal; posting it publicly invites probing and attacks.
IPv6 changes the picture
With IPv6, providers give each home a block of public addresses, so every device can have its own globally reachable address and NAT is often not needed. Your router's firewall still blocks unwanted incoming connections. See IPv4 vs IPv6.
Frequently asked questions
Is 192.168.1.1 a public IP?
No. It is a private address used by many home routers. It works only inside a local network.
Can two devices have the same private IP?
Not on the same network, but devices in different homes use the same private addresses all the time without problems.
Can a website see my private IP?
Normally not. A browser feature called WebRTC used to expose it, which our WebRTC leak test checks. Modern browsers hide it.