Here we clarify the most frequent questions about IP addresses and show how to find out your own IP address.
What is an IP address and what is its purpose?
An IP address is an individual combination of numbers. Just as every telephone needs a telephone number and every house needs a street address, every computer also needs a unique identification number. As soon as a connection to the Internet exists, an IP address is assigned. The IP address allows each device to be identified and contacted. Smartphones, tablets and other devices that connect to the Internet also receive an IP address. The abbreviation IP stands for "Internet Protocol", this network standard is something like the international traffic language for computers.
How is an IP address structured?
All IP addresses follow a uniform pattern. There are currently two standards, IPv4 and IPv6. Addresses according to the IPv4 standard are composed of four numbers in the range from 0 to 255 and have a maximum of 12 numbers. Example: "81.9.255.72". The numbers are separated by a dot. However, because only a limited number of combinations can be formed with the IPv4 system, IP addresses are increasingly being formed according to the new IPv6 standard. Addresses in the new format are made up of eight character blocks separated by colons and containing letters as well as numbers. Beispiel: „2001:0db3:85a8:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334“. If the IP address in the IPv6 standard has many zeros, these can be replaced by an additional colon.
How can I find out my own IP address?
On the Internet, you can quickly find out what your own IP address is. Websites such as "http://fssecure.t-online.de/service/ip/" or "eigene-IP.de" show it within seconds. In most cases, a device has a second IP address, that of your own network at home. These internal addresses typically start with "192" and can be read out directly at the computer with the command prompt "ipconfig" (Windows 7 and 10).
What does the IP address reveal about the user?
An IP address reveals where a user is located and which Internet provider is used. Thus, it can be assumed that a customer of the Telekom has an IP address that starts with 212, 81 or 91 The location is determined via the so-called dial-in node. Usually this is a few kilometres away at most, in urban areas it is closer. Thus, the determination of the location (geolocation) is relatively precise.
In addition, Internet providers can track each customer's data stream and see what is searched for on the net, which websites are visited or which files are downloaded. However, according to current legislation, Internet providers are obliged to delete all history data at the end of an Internet session. The information about which IP address belongs to which customer may also be stored for a maximum of seven days. During this time a court order can be obtained to find out the residential address and contact details of the respective user. However, only in the case of justified suspicion, for example if copyrighted material is shared via a file-sharing platform or child pornography is downloaded. In general, a customer only retains his IP address for the duration of an Internet session; the next time he dials in, there is a new IP address. Thus the IP address changes constantly, it is dynamically assigned by the Internet provider.
Is it possible to hide the own IP address?
It is not possible to hide your own IP address completely. However, there are programs like JAP or Tor that can be used to hide your own Internet activities. However, using such services can slow down the speed of the Internet.
