Skip to content

What Is a Public IP Address?

A public IP address is the address assigned to your network by your internet service provider that identifies it on the open internet. It’s the address websites, apps, and online services see when you connect to them, and it’s unique across the public internet, meaning no two active devices share the same one at the same time. 

When you browse the web at home, your router uses a single public IP address to represent all the devices on your network to the outside world. Your laptop, phone, and smart TV each have their own private addresses internally, but outbound traffic appears to come from one public-facing address. This process is managed through NAT (Network Address Translation).

Because a public IP address is visible to any server you connect to, it can be used to approximate your general location, flag suspicious activity, or restrict access to certain content. Using a VPN routes your traffic through a different server, masking your public IP from the sites you visit.