Tracking an IP address can reveal information about a user and their location. In this article,
we explain how to track IP address information, and how to prevent your IP address from being
traced.
address, is a string of numbers used to identify your network or device on the internet. When
you connect to a website, the website operator receives your public IP address. Because your IP
address acts as a your online ID, the website operator knows where to send the requested data.
While IP addresses are essential to the functioning of the internet, they can reveal more
information about you than you might like. If someone has your IP address, they can trace it and
find out roughly where you’re browsing from and what internet service provider (ISP) you use.
Can an IP address identify you on the internet? No, on its own an IP address only reveals basic
details like your browsing area and your ISP — it doesn’t give away your name, browsing
information, or exact location.
Tracing and tracking an IP address is the same process. Throughout this article, we’ll use both
terms interchangeably. The main thing you need to know is that tracking and tracing both refer
to gathering information based on someone’s IP address.
track a user’s IP address is to provide an experience that suits users in specific
geographical areas best. For example, your IP address can be traced to determine what language
the pages should appear in or to make sure you see products that are available in your area.
its marketing and advertising efforts can be. If a website detects that you’re based in a
country where a certain product or service is popular, it can tailor what you see on its pages
accordingly.
website detects that someone is trying to access your profile from an IP address in an unusual
location, it can block the request or flag it up to you for confirmation.{‘ ‘}
enforcement agencies. When a hacker or other bad actor commits a crime while connected to the
internet, their IP address can be used to track them down in the real world. Of course, this
use of IP tracking can also be less positive — for example, in oppressive regimes where
authorities can trace and target activists and free-speech advocates using their IP addresses.
In most cases, the IP address tracing method will end up being an IP lookup service. These sites
are usually free and available through a browser.
You can trace an IP address from an email, but these steps will vary depending on the email
service you use. The process described below is a general guide for most mainstream email
platforms.
or bottom of the email interface).
It’s important to note that, even if you trace multiple IP addresses gathered from the raw email
data, these are likely to lead back to the email provider’s relay servers, rather than the
sender’s network.
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As long as you have an IP address, you can track it, even if you’re using your phone. IP lookup
tools are available for mobile browsers as well as on desktop, so once you have the IP address
you want to trace, just open one of these services and input the address.{‘ ‘}
If you’re trying to locate a device — for example, a missing phone — having the IP address won’t
be particularly helpful to you. IP addresses can reveal the general area in which someone is
browsing but can’t confirm their exact IP location. You would also need to know the device’s
current IP address, which will change every time the device connects to a different network.
It is completely legal to track IP addresses as long as you’re not doing so for criminal
purposes.
Public IP addresses are meant to be available to the wider internet — that’s how data is able to
find its way back to your network from other sites and servers. If someone has that information
and puts it into an IP tracker, they aren’t committing a crime.
You can easily hide your IP address, and the best way to do so is with a VPN. A{‘ ‘} VPN, or virtual private network,{‘ ‘} hides your IP address, so when you
connect to the internet, websites see whatever address is linked to the VPN server instead of
your own network.
A VPN also encrypts your traffic, preventing your ISP and other outside actors from monitoring
your online activity. With NordVPN, you can enhance both your privacy and security and take full
control over who can see your real IP address.
