IP address

[Ellaroo]

Apologies if this is a stupid question to many of you, but how can I tell if an IP address is mine or not?

I was hoping someone could tell me how to verify that the numbers I have here are the same as my IP address. Also are the numbers useless to other people or should they be kept private?

[silver]

Click this (http://whatismyipaddress.com/)

or do you mean your local IP address?

ETA:
Windows 98 And Above



Go to Start
Click on Run
Type cmd and hit enter (use command in Win98)
Type ipconfig and hit enter

It will say something like

[Houkou]

Edit: Beaten like a swan :D

[Ellaroo]

Thanks very much silver and Houkou. I really appreciate you going out of your way to help me. I'm still confused...and not sure what the difference is from a local IP address.

I followed the link and it gave me a different set of numbers than the ones I have....and the map puts me in Batley, Yorkshire which is not where I am?

ETA: The first 4 numbers are the same on both, I'm not sure if that makes any difference.

[silver]

Your local IP address is what your local network has assigned to your machine; usually a 192.168.1.? #. This can change(dynamic)
Your exeternal IP address is what your broadband/internet provider has assigned to your modem/gateway. This is usually the same (static), but not always.
Don't expect that to be where you are, it depends on the how your provider is set up. From work it was telling me I was several towns and another state from my office. From home it's correct. :shrugs:

There's better technical minds here than me if that doesn't help.

[Ellaroo]

The IP that link gave me is for an area about 65 miles from me, but from what you're saying that can be normal? And there are two types of IP address? Which explains why I have two numbers written down? Apologies....I'm easy to confuse! Thanks very much for explaining how it all works silver, I appreciate it. :)

[Brian]

Yes, it's possible. I've seen people on the West Coast of the US using AOL and their IP shows up as being on the East Coast simply because of how their service provider is configured. :)

[Ellaroo]

Thanks Brian. Initally I had assumed it would be pinpoint our street and even our house. But I'm rubbish with all things techincal.

It's got me thinking....see I post on a site where there's been a load of hassle (you don't have to register to post)and the site owner has started spouting IP address, saying she knows where people live and which area they are from, she even threaten police action. I suppose it is possible, but from what's been said here I suspect she was blagging everyone.

And that avi creeps me right out Brian.

[Brian]

Heh. I never could get the timing to work out quite the way I wanted. I'll probably end up changing it soon. :)

As for what that site owner told you, it's hit and miss really. Giving out IP addresses on a public forum is a pretty stupid thing for a site owner to do since most consider that private or privileged information, at least we do. It's not as though they can see where you live, but they could probably tell you at least the country pretty accurately. Of course, if someone is IP spoofing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_spoofing), then they couldn't tell you that much.