How to Check Your IP Address and Domain
Finding a computer's Internet Protocol (IP) address and domain name can help you understand the way computers "talk" to each other online. Each computer on the Internet has a public IP address, which identifies it to other computers. If you are on a local network, you also have a private IP address. In 2010, most of these addresses used a protocol called IP version 4, or IPv4, with four groups of numbers separated by periods, such as "207.46.170.10." However, available IPv4 addresses were running low, and transition to IPv6 was underway.
Domain names and IP addresses are actually the same. A domain name is a human-readable form of the numeric, machine-readable IP address. The domain is the last part of a URL or email address. For instance, the URL http://www.anydomain.com has the domain name "anydomain.com." If you know a computer's IP address, you can find the domain name.
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Instructions
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Check IP Address
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Find your private IP address. In Windows Vista, click "Start." Type "network" (no quotes) in the Search box. Select "Network and Sharing Center."
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Click "Manage Network Connections" to view currently defined connections. Double-click "Local Area Connection."
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In the dialog box, click "Details." You will see your private IP address next to "IPv4 IP Address."
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Find your public IP address. In your Internet browser, find a free locator site such as Find IP Address or AuditIP. When you go to the site, it immediately displays your public IP address.
Check Domain Name
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In your Internet browser, go to WhoIs.net, Domain Name Details or another free domain lookup site.
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Type an IP address into the "WhoIs" search box.
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Press "Enter" to view the domain name.
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References
- "Windows Vista: Inside Out;" Ed Bott, Carl Siechert, Craig Stinson; 2007
- American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN): IP Addresses and Domain Names
Resources
- Photo Credit Network connection image by Fantasista from Fotolia.com
