How to Trace an IP Address

Tracing an IP address can help you determine its approximate geographic location, and it’s quite simple to do. There are several online IP trackers available, such as WolframAlpha and the Spiceworks IP Lookup tool. This guide will walk you through the steps to trace the origin of an IP address easily.

Finding Someone’s Location by Their IP Address

1. Copy the IP address from the website you want to locate.
2. Paste the IP address into an IP lookup website like WolframAlpha.
3. Press Enter to retrieve the IP address’s location.

Method 1: Using WolframAlpha

1. Find the IP Address You Want to Trace:
   • 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. Open the WolframAlpha Website:
   • Go to https://www.wolframalpha.com/ in your web browser.
3. Click the Search Bar:
   • It’s at the top of the page.
4. Enter the IP Address You Found:
   • For example, to trace Facebook’s IP address, type 157.240.18.35 into the search bar.
5. Press Enter:
   • Doing so will search for the IP address’s geographical details.
6. Review the Results:
   • WolframAlpha will typically show details such as the type of IP address, the Internet Service Provider (e.g., Comcast), and the city where the IP address is 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’s information, try using an IP Lookup tool instead.

Method 2: Using IP Lookup

1. Find the IP Address You Want to Trace:
   • 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. Open the IP Lookup Website:
   • Go to https://community.spiceworks.com/tools/ip-lookup/ in your web browser.
3. Click the Search Bar:
   • This is the white box below the “IP Address or Hostname” heading.
4. Type in the IP Address You Found:
   • For example, type 172.217.7.206 to search for one of Google’s addresses.
5. Click Lookup IP:
   • This blue button is to the right of the text field. Clicking it will search for your entered IP address.
6. Review the Results:
   • IP Lookup provides basic information about the IP address’s 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 Windows Defender, which is built into the Windows operating system.
   • You can use Windows Defender instead of other paid antivirus software, as some paid software might try to clean up programs that are not harmful.
   • Email providers like MSN, Gmail, or Yahoo have different filter systems. To determine if an email is legitimate, check the domain of the email.

Q&A for How to Trace an IP Address

Q: Can an IP address be tracked by Facebook or Viber messages?

• A: Only when you are chatting on that particular app.

Q: Can I trace an IP address from Kik or iFunny?

• A: You can use a website where you send the user a link, and when they click it, it gives you their IP address. This method can work for any form of online communication.

Q: How do I track someone’s IP from a post they posted on Twitter?

• A: This is impossible. However, you could try tricking them into sending you an email.

Q: Do I get to know the person’s name registered on the network by using the tracert command?

• A: No. Tracert only works like the traceroute command on Cisco CLI. It just traces the hop-by-hop path to the desired network (ISP router or switch).

Q: How do I look up an IP address from an iPhone?

• A: You can look up IP addresses from an iPhone the same way you would with a computer. If you have Internet access, use the IP-address-tracing websites mentioned in the article.

Q: Does the IP address remain unique for a given device?

• A: It can, if you set a static IP address for a device. If not, your router assigns it an IP address using DHCP. DHCP has a lease time, after which a device may get a new address. Your network also has a public IP address for internet connection, which generally does not change.

Q: My Facebook account showed a device accessing it that wasn’t mine. I got the IP address of the unknown device. What can I find out from this and how?

• A: You can find the person’s location using an IP address searcher. Just look it up on Google. Meanwhile, it’s advisable to change your Facebook password.

Q: Can I trace a Facebook account to find out who created an account with my name?

• A: While your frustration is understandable, it’s best to report it to Facebook. They will remove the account quickly.

Q: Can someone trace my IP address and make it look like I am doing something on the internet?

• A: Yes. If someone obtains your IP address, they can mask or spoof their IP to look like yours.

Q: Can I track an IP address from a Google review?

• A: Not from the review alone. But if you know the basic Google account info, such as Gmail, you could manipulate that and perhaps obtain more information, including the user’s public IP address. If the person is using a VPN, this method would be useless.

Q: How can a mobile phone have multiple IP addresses?

• A: It can’t. Mobile phones do not have IP addresses. Only the network it’s connected to has an IP, and it would only have one.

Q: Can I track an IP from my Android device?

• A: Yes. There are apps that can help you with this, especially on Android. Just search for reliable high-rated apps.

Q: How do I trace an IP address from an email?

• A: Open a tab and go to whatismyipaddress.com, or a similar site. Open another tab and open the email message. In the pull-down menu, select “show original.” Copy the “original” and paste it into the box on the site. It will provide the sender’s IP address.

Q: Is it possible for someone to make it look like their IP address is different from what it is?

• A: Yes, by using a VPN. Research how to use a VPN to disguise your IP address.

Q: Can I track my lost phone using an IP address?

• A: Maybe. However, using the “Find My iPhone” app is a reliable method. Track the IP address, but note that you can only track it when it is online.