Private IP Address: Everything You Need to Know

If you’re Googling “What is 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1?”, then private IP addresses might be what you’re looking for. What is a private IP address? And what about a public IP address? How to tell the difference between them? If you’ve got a bunch of these questions, you’re in the right place! This blog has everything you need to know. Without further ado, let’s get started!

What Is a Private IP Address?

A Private IP Address is an IP address used within a local network, such as your home, office, or company’s internal network. It’s mainly used for communication between devices.

However, these addresses only work inside your home (or office) network and are invisible to the outside world (the Internet). It’s like each room in your house has a room number, but the mailman only sees your house’s main address, not the room numbers. To make it easier to understand, here are the main features of a Private IP Address:

• Only works locally: Private IP addresses are only used for communication within a local network and cannot be accessed directly over the Internet. This helps avoid address conflicts and improves network security.
• Commonly used in LANs: Private IP addresses are used for devices within home, office, or company networks, such as computers, printers, smart TVs, and more.
• Internet Access Requires NAT: When a device with a private IP address needs to access the Internet, a NAT router converts the private IP into a public IP. When data is sent back, the router translates the public IP back into the private IP, enabling communication between internal devices and the Internet.

• Reusable: The same private IP address can be reused across different local networks without any conflicts.
• More secure: Private IP addresses are not exposed to the Internet, making them safer compared to public IP addresses.
• Can be set manually: While routers automatically assign private IP addresses, you can manually set a fixed address (static IP) if needed.

The most popular private IP range is 192.168.1.xxx, but that’s not all.

Private IP Address Ranges

Private IP addresses aren’t chosen randomly. They have specific ranges reserved for local networks. According to IPv4 and IPv6 protocols, private IP addresses are divided into these 3 categories:

1. Class A: 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255 (10.0.0.0/8), offering about 16,777,216 IP addresses.

2. Class B: 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255 (172.16.0.0/12), offering about 1,048,576 IP addresses.

3. Class C (the most common): 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 (192.168.0.0/16), offering about 65,536 IP addresses.

Class	IP Range	Subnet Mask
A	10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255	255.0.0.0
B	172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255	255.255.0.0
C	192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255	255.255.255.0

Here’s a simple example: your Wi-Fi router might assign itself an address like 192.168.1.1 and then give other devices addresses like 192.168.1.2, 192.168.1.3, and so on.

But do you know what a public IP address is? And what’s the difference between public and private IP addresses? Read on to find out!

Public vs Private IP Addresses: What’s the Difference?

A public IP address is like your phone number—anyone in the world can use it to call you. A private IP address is like an extension number on an office phone—only people inside the office (or network) can use it to reach you.

Public IPs connect you to the world, while private IPs keep things organized and secure within your local network. If you’re still confused, here’s a detailed comparison table to help!

	Public IP Address	Private IP Address
Example	8.8.8.8 (Google DNS)	192.168.1.1 (Home Router)
Usage Scope	Global (used across the entire internet)	Local (only within specific networks, like home or office)
Communication	Enables communication between devices over the internet	Enables communication between devices within the same local network
Common Use Cases	Visiting websites, online gaming, IoT devices	Home networks, office networks, internal systems
Uniqueness	Unique on the internet, cannot be duplicated	Not unique, can be reused in different networks
Assigned By	ISP	Router or manually configured within the local network
Internet Access	Can directly access the Internet	Requires NAT to translate private IP to public IP for Internet access
Security	More vulnerable to attacks, needs extra security measures (e.g., VPN)	Not directly exposed to the internet, relatively safer
Cost	Often requires payment	Free to use

By now, you should easily be able to tell the difference between public and private IP addresses! Well, do you want to know what your private IP address is?

>> Read More: Public IP vs Private IP

How to Find My Private IP Address? Step-by-Step Guide

To find your private IP address, you can use different methods depending on your device’s operating system. Here are the steps for different operating systems:

Find Your Private IP Address on Windows

Using Command Prompt

1. Press “Win + R” to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type “cmd “and press Enter to open Command Prompt.
3. Type “ipconfig “and press Enter.
4. Look for the “IPv4 Address” under your active network connection. This is your private IP address.

Using Network and Sharing Center

1. Go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click on your active network connection (e.g., Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
3. Click on the “Properties “button.
4. Your IP address will be displayed under the “Properties” section.

Find Your Private IP Address on macOS

Using System Preferences

1. Open the Apple menu and go to “System Preferences.”
2. Click on “Network.”
3. Select your current network connection.
4. Your IP address will appear on the right-hand side.

Using Terminal

1. Open “Terminal “from “Applications “> “Utilities.”
2. Enter the command “ifconfig | grep inet “and press Enter.
3. Find the line beginning with “inet” under your active network connection, typically labeled as “en0.” This will show your private IP address.

Find Your Private IP Address on iOS (iPhone/iPad)

1. Go to “Settings.”
2. Select “Wi-Fi.”
3. Tap the “i” icon next to the Wi-Fi network you’re connected to.
4. Your IP address will be shown in the “IPV4 Address” section.

Find Your Private IP Address on Android

1. Open “Settings.”
2. Tap “Network & Internet” > “Wi-Fi.”
3. Select the Wi-Fi network you’re connected to.
4. You’ll find your IP address listed under “Network Details.

These steps make it simple to find your private IP address across different operating systems.

How to Hide Your IP Address?

As mentioned earlier, your public IP address is exposed on the internet. In this case, your public IP can reveal your approximate location and your ISP. Websites and advertisers can use this information to track your online activities or send you targeted ads. Additionally, hackers can exploit your public IP to launch attacks, such as DDoS attacks, or even attempt to directly access your devices.

So, how to hide your IP address? The simplest way is to use a VPN. A VPN masks your public IP address by replacing it with the IP address of its server, ensuring your location and online activities remain private and secure. Here’s how to do it:

1. Choose a reliable VPN provider. We recommend X-VPN, which is completely free and known for its speed and security.
2. Download and install the X-VPN app on your device.

3. Open X-VPN and connect to a free server—no login required.

Now, your IP address is hidden. Sites or third parties will only see the VPN server’s IP instead of your real one.

Conclusion

A private IP address is an address used for communication between devices within a local network. While it can’t directly access the internet like a public IP address, it plays a crucial role in keeping the local network organized, secure, and efficient.

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