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How to Find IP Addresses (and Hide Your Own)

Learn how to find someone's IP address on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and discover various methods to protect your own IP address.

Publish date: 11/7/2024

Finding out someone’s IP address can serve multiple purposes, ranging from resolving network issues to satisfying personal curiosity and beyond.

After all, an IP address is one of the most fundamental things when it comes to using the internet. Chances are there's a time when you might want to discover someone's IP address.

And once you know the meaning of an IP address, you'll likely be a bit more careful in how easily you expose your own and who you expose it to.

That said, have no fear. In this article, we'll explain everything about IP addresses, from how to find someone's to how to protect your own from being exposed.

But first:

What is an IP address?

An IP address is a unique set of numbers assigned to each device connected to the Internet. It serves as the device’s identifier, allowing data to be sent and received accurately.

There are two main types of IP addresses:

  • Public IP address: Assigned to your network by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), this address is visible to the outside world and is used to communicate with external networks.
  • Private IP address: Assigned to your individual devices within your local network, these addresses are not visible externally and are used for internal communication.

When someone obtains your IP address, they typically access your public IP address. While it’s challenging to uncover a private IP address without sophisticated methods, it’s not impossible for hackers or authorities to do so.

What does your IP address reveal?

Many people worry that their IP address can divulge sensitive personal information, such as their identity or precise location. While an IP address can provide general location data (like your country or city), it doesn’t directly expose personal details. However, the real risk lies in what malicious actors can do by combining your IP address with other information.

Here’s what an IP address can potentially reveal:

  • Geographical location: General area, including city and country.
  • ISP information: The name of your Internet Service Provider.
  • Browsing activity: Patterns of your online behavior if monitored over time.

Potential threats include:

  • Cyber attacks: Hackers can use your IP address to launch attacks like DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service), overwhelming your network with traffic.
  • Impersonation: Attackers might use your IP to impersonate you and gain unauthorized access to confidential information.
  • Data theft: Malicious actors can exploit vulnerabilities associated with your IP to install malware or steal sensitive data.

Given these risks, it’s important to understand how to protect your IP address effectively. But before we get into that, let’s talk about how to find an IP address first.

How to find someone’s IP address

Whether you need to identify the source of suspicious activity or simply satisfy your curiosity, there are several methods to find someone’s IP address.

Here are some common techniques across different operating systems:

1. Using IP lookup tools

IP lookup tools are online services that provide detailed information about an IP address, including its geographical location and ISP.

Some popular IP lookup tools include:

  • WhatIsMyIPAddress.com: Displays the IP address, hostname, and approximate location.
  • Advanced IP Scanner: Reveals the IP’s hostname, MAC address, and network interface vendor.
  • Angry IP Scanner: Provides hostnames, MAC addresses, ports, and NetBIOS information.
  • SolarWinds: Offers detailed information on IPs, associated devices, and users.

2. Through email headers

Emails contain hidden information in their headers, including the sender’s IP address.

To extract this information:

  1. Open the email in question.
  2. Locate the option to view the email’s original or raw headers (usually found under settings or more options).
  3. Copy the header information.
  4. Paste it into an Email Header Analyzer tool to reveal the IP address.

Here’s a simplified example of what you might see in an email header:

Received: from mail.example.com (mail.example.com [192.0.2.1])         by smtp.receiver.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id ABC123DEF         for <recipient@example.com>; Wed, 27 Apr 2024 10:00:00 -0400 (EDT)
  • mail.example.com 192.0.2.1: This is the IP address of the sending mail server.
  • smtp.receiver.com: This is the receiving mail server's domain.

In this example, 192.0.2.1 is the IP address of the server that sent the email, not the sender's personal device.

3. Open up a terminal (it's built-in!)

For those comfortable with using command-line interfaces, opening up a terminal can be a quick and easy way to find an IP address.

On Windows:

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type cmd and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
  3. Type ping [website domain name] and press Enter.
  4. The IP address of the website will be displayed in the results.
  5. Type tracert [website domain name] and press Enter.
  6. The traceroute results will display the path your data takes to reach the website, showing intermediate IP addresses.
  7. Alternative Command:
    • pathping [website domain name]: Combines ping and tracert functionalities to provide detailed network statistics.

On Linux:

  1. Open the Terminal.
  2. Type ping [website domain name] or nslookup [website domain name] and press Enter.
  3. The IP address and additional details will be shown.
  4. Type traceroute [website domain name] and press Enter.
  5. The traceroute results will display the path your data takes to reach the website, showing intermediate IP addresses.
  6. Alternative Commands:
    • mtr [website domain name]: Combines ping and traceroute for real-time network diagnostics.
    • dig [website domain name]: Performs DNS lookups to retrieve detailed domain information.

On Mac:

  1. Open the Terminal from Applications > Utilities.
  2. Type ping [website domain name] or nslookup [website domain name] and press Enter.
  3. The IP address and related information will appear in the terminal.
  4. Type traceroute [website domain name] and press Enter.
  5. The traceroute results will display the path your data takes to reach the website, showing intermediate IP addresses.
  6. Alternative Command:
    • dig [website domain name]: Similar to Linux, it provides detailed DNS information.

4. Using social engineering and IP loggers

Sometimes, finding an IP address requires more than technical methods.

At the end of the day, you need to be connected to the target or have some form of control over it to obtain the IP address.

For example, sending a link to an IP logger service and tricking the target into clicking it can reveal their IP address. However, these methods can be unethical and potentially illegal, so they should be used with caution and within legal boundaries.

How to secure your IP address

As you can imagine, protecting your IP address is incredibly important to maintaining your online privacy and security.

Here are some methods to safeguard your IP address:

1. Use a virtual private network (VPN)

A VPN masks your real IP address by routing your internet traffic through a VPN server, which assigns you a different IP address. This not only hides your true location but also encrypts your data, adding an extra layer of security against potential threats.

Benefits of using a VPN include:

  • Privacy protection: Hides your IP address from websites, advertisers, and potential hackers.
  • Data encryption: Ensures that your online activities are secure and private.
  • Bypass geo-restrictions: Access content that may be restricted in your region.

VPNs such as Mullvad are known to work well and have a good track record.

2. Set up a VPN on a virtual private server (VPS)

By setting up your own VPN server on a VPS, you maintain full control over your data and reduce the risk of third-party surveillance.

However, it’s important to note that this approach may reduce your anonymity since the VPS provider’s IP address is not shared among multiple users.

This means that while you can mask your IP address, at the end of the day, it can also often easily be traced back to you anyway.

To set up your own VPN server, consider using a Virtual Private Server (VPS) from V.PS. Check out our introduction to WireGuard: easy for self-hosted VPNs for a step-by-step guide.

3. Implement DNS services like DNS.SB

DNS.SB is a privacy-focused DNS resolver that enhances your online security by encrypting your DNS queries. Using a secure DNS resolver like DNS.SB prevents ISPs and other entities from monitoring your browsing behavior, adding an extra layer of privacy.

Advantages of DNS.SB include:

  • Enhanced privacy protection: Encrypts DNS queries to prevent eavesdropping.
  • Improved security: Guards against DNS spoofing and other cyber threats.
  • Performance: Offers fast and reliable DNS resolution for a smoother internet experience.

4. Use proxy servers

Relatively similar to a VPN, proxy servers act as intermediaries between your device and the internet. By routing your traffic through a proxy, your real IP address is hidden, and the proxy’s IP address is displayed instead.

Types of proxy servers include:

  • HTTP proxies: Suitable for web browsing and accessing restricted websites.
  • SOCKS proxies: More versatile, supporting a wider range of internet traffic.
  • Transparent proxies: Do not hide your IP address but can be used for content filtering and caching.

Conclusion

Being able to find and protect your own IP address is something akin to taking your baby steps on the internet.

Thankfully, if you weren't ready to take your first steps before reading this article, you are now! ;-)

We appreciate you taking the time to read our blog, and as always, for all IT needs anywhere from dedicated servers, to colocation, or beyond, please give xTom a look first!

FAQ

How can I track someone’s IP address?

The easiest way to track someone’s IP address is by using IP lookup tools such as WhatIsMyIPAddress.com, Advanced IP Scanner, Angry IP Scanner, and SolarWinds.

What is DNS.SB used for?

DNS.SB is a secure DNS resolver that provides privacy protection by encrypting DNS queries, preventing tracking, and improving overall online privacy.

How do I get someone’s IP address via email?

To get someone’s IP address via email, open the email, view the original headers, and use an Email Header Analyzer tool to extract the IP information.

Can a VPS like V.PS help protect my IP address?

Yes, using a VPS from providers like V.PS allows you to set up your own VPN server, offering enhanced security and privacy by masking your real IP address and controlling your data environment.

Is using a VPN enough to protect my IP address?

While a VPN provides significant protection by masking your IP and encrypting your data, combining it with other security measures like secure DNS services (e.g., DNS.SB) can help even further.

Tags:#IP address#online security#VPN#DNS#Windows#Mac#Linux#cyber threats#privacy