An Internet Protocol (IP) address is like a phone number, representing a device on the Internet, such as a computer or telephone. If you know your phone's IP address, you can find out where it is. But without information from the Internet provider, it is impossible to determine a specific geographic location through an IP address.
How does IP address information work?
When computers communicate with each other over the Internet, they send and receive digital messages using digital codes. The most common types of IP addresses in use today are usually represented by four numbers separated by periods, such as 127.0.0.1. This is a private IP address that is used for device testing and other purposes.
Computers and other devices at Internet service providers, such as home and office routers, exchange messages based on IP addresses.
Typically, an IP address is provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). An ISP is an organization that connects mobile devices to a network.
Clustering of similar IP addresses simplifies information exchange, so that it is possible to determine roughly where a device is located from its IP address. In the company network, you can find out where a particular computer is located in the office by IP address information. Similarly, in an internet service provider's network, this information can identify a computer's geographic location.
How is an IP address found?
There are a number of databases that can identify which ISP provided a particular IP address. These databases can also determine the approximate location of a computer using a given IP address. Some companies may use this information to provide targeted advertisements to the population of a particular region/country or to provide services in the language used in that region.
There are several IP address tracking databases that provide this type of information for free. To do this, enter the IP address in the search section of the database and find out what geographic information is available.
Restrictions on IP address tracking
Unless you have access to the ISP's internal database, in most cases you will not be able to pinpoint someone's location using an IP address. In some cases, people use IP address mapping information to accuse someone of a crime and do other inappropriate things. In doing so, the mapping data they discover is inaccurate, often implicating innocent people.
If your IP address actually belongs to a criminal, investigate the situation carefully and contact your local police or attorney. Officials will legally obtain information about the IP address from the Internet provider and help you to clarify the situation.
Beware of incorrect IP address information
IP addresses located in a specific region can be used by someone who is not in that region. This is achieved by redirecting the network to another server using a virtual private network (VPN). Hackers also work by changing the IP address. In such cases, even if you have pinpointed the geographic location of an IP address, the person using that address may actually be thousands of kilometers away.
