ipThe role of a local address
Your computer might use 192.168.1.20 while a website sees another address. Private addresses have meaning within a local network. Two unrelated homes can use the same private range without creating a public internet address conflict.
Which IPv4 ranges are private?
The private-use blocks are 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, and 192.168.0.0/16. Not every address beginning with 172 is private: the second number must be between 16 and 31. Public IP lookup tools cannot provide meaningful country and city information for these blocks.
Choose the right address
Use a local IP to connect to a printer and a public IP to inspect your internet provider. Knowing a public address alone is insufficient for remote access: firewall rules, NAT, and the application’s listening port also matter. Private addressing does not make every device on a local network trustworthy.
Looking up a printer address
A printer at 192.168.1.50 cannot be located on a public map; another home can use the same address. Check the local network to reach the printer and the public IP to identify your provider. A locally accessible printer interface does not prove internet exposure. A public IP lookup reveals neither its password nor its listening port.
Further reading
Private address allocation — RFC 1918 ↗Put it into practice
Inspect one public IP, or compare a list of addresses with the bulk lookup tool. Location results are approximate.
Single lookup ↗ Bulk lookup ↗