#2, Public vs. Private IP Addresses: What Is the Difference? Добавить связанный Изменить Удалить

A public IP identifies your network on the internet. A private IP identifies a device inside your home or office network.

The essential difference

Websites normally see the public IP address assigned to your internet connection. Your phone, computer, and printer usually use private addresses that work only inside the local network.

Your router connects the two address spaces and sends replies from the internet back to the device that requested them.

Private ranges and NAT

Private IPv4 ranges are 10.0.0.0–10.255.255.255, 172.16.0.0–172.31.255.255, and 192.168.0.0–192.168.255.255. Public internet routers do not route them.

Network address translation (NAT) replaces a private source address with the router’s public address for outgoing connections and tracks replies for the right device.

Finding and using each address

An IP-checking website shows the public address received from your browser. Wi-Fi or Ethernet settings show the private address assigned in your local network.

A public IP is not a password and does not grant access to your device. For remote access, a private address alone is not reachable from the internet.

Frequently asked questions