How to Trace an IP Address

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Tracing an IP address will give you its approximate geographic location, and it’s actually pretty easy to do. There are several online IP trackers that allow you to search for an IP address, including WolframAlpha and the Spiceworks IP Lookup tool. This wikiHow tutorial will guide you through tracing an IP address's origin in a few simple steps.

Finding Someone’s Location by their IP Address

Copy the IP address from a website you want to know the location of. Then, paste it into an IP lookup website like Wolfram Alpha . Press enter to get the IP address’ location.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Using WolframAlpha

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  1. Find the IP address that you want to trace. You can find a website's IP address on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android platforms.
  2. Go to https://www.wolframalpha.com/ in your web browser.
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  3. It's at the top of the page.
  4. Enter the IP address that you found. For example, if you wanted to trace Facebook's IP address, you would type 157.240.18.35 into the search bar.
  5. Doing so will search for the IP address' geographical details.
  6. WolframAlpha will typically show things like the type of IP address, the address' Internet Service Provider (e.g., Comcast), and the city in which the IP address is currently active.
    • You can click More to the right of the "IP address registrant:" heading to view information about the registered city.
    • If WolframAlpha doesn't display the IP address' information, try using IP Lookup instead.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using IP Lookup

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  1. You can find a website's IP address on Windows , Mac , iPhone, and Android platforms.
    • You can also find a Skype user's IP address if necessary.
  2. Go to https://community.spiceworks.com/tools/ip-lookup/ in your web browser.
  3. This is the white box below the "IP Address or Hostname" heading.
  4. For example, you'd type in 172.217.7.206 to search for one of Google's addresses.
  5. This blue button is to the right of the text field. Doing so will search for your entered IP address.
  6. IP Lookup provides you with basic information about the IP address' location (e.g., city and state) along with a map and a location pin.
    • To ensure your Windows desktop computer or laptop is safe from viruses, use the Windows Defender. It is an anti-virus software built into a Windows operating system.
    • You can use this software instead of other paid and tested software because they may try to clean up programs and software on your computer that are not bad.
    • Email providers like MSN, Gmail, or Yahoo have different filter systems. To know if the email is legit or not is to look at the domain of the email.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How can I find a person's location right away?
    Community Answer
    The fastest way is finding the ip address.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 269 Helpful 716
  • Question
    How do I find out someone's IP address when they're connected to my WiFi network?
    Community Answer
    If someone is on your WiFi network, then they'll have the same IP address as everyone else on that network since your router is what gives you that external IP. (Every individual device does have its own IP address, but when connected to WiFi, an external address is given via the router.)
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 44 Helpful 142
  • Question
    Somebody hacked my Instagram and then told me my address and stuff about me. What do I do?
    Community Answer
    Report it to the police and Instagram and they will sort it from there.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
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      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To trace an IP address using WolframAlpha, visit wolframalpha.com in your web browser. On the website, click on the search bar at the top, enter the IP address, and press “Enter” to show the results. Once the results appear, read through them to check the internet service provider and its location associated with the website. For tips on how to trace an IP address using IPLookup, read on!

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