How to Trace Back an IP Address You Visited

In terms of the Internet, IP addresses are treated essentially as one's postal or home address in the real world. It provides the person with a general location of where the IP originates, as well as what host has given the IP address. That being said, if you need to determine where an IP you visited is, or how much your PC needs to get through to reach it, you can trace the IP address to find out.

Instructions

1. Click the Start menu on your Desktop, then click "Run."

2. Type "command" in the box that appears, then click "OK."

3. Type "tracert" in the prompt that appears, followed by the IP address you want to trace.

4. Press enter to being tracing the IP address. Watch as the computer traces the distance in terms of network location and time spent from your computer to the IP address you used. The last entry shows the host of your IP address.

Tips & Warnings

• Some IP addresses may not trace properly due to network issues.

References

• Indiana University: Using Traceroute