IP Type Detector
Enter any IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) to instantly detect its type. Our IP type detector identifies whether an IP is public, private (RFC 1918), loopback, link-local, multicast, broadcast, reserved, or carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT). Perfect for network diagnostics, security audits, and learning IP address classification - all processing happens locally in your browser with no data uploads.
Enter any IPv4 or IPv6 address to instantly detect its type. The tool checks against all standard classifications including public, private (RFC 1918), loopback, link-local, multicast, broadcast, reserved, CGNAT, documentation, and benchmarking ranges. All processing happens locally in your browser.
Enter an IP address above to detect its type
Click any example button to test with a sample IP address
Why Use Our IP Type Detector?
Instant IP Classification
Enter any IPv4 or IPv6 address and instantly get its complete classification. The IP type detector checks against all IANA-registered ranges including private (RFC 1918), loopback, link-local, multicast, broadcast, reserved, CGNAT, documentation, and benchmarking addresses.
Detailed Address Breakdown
Beyond the IP type, the tool shows you the binary representation, hexadecimal form, decimal value, expanded IPv6 notation, and the specific CIDR range that matched. Perfect for learning and understanding IP addressing at a low level.
Comprehensive Range Coverage
The detector covers all standard IPv4 and IPv6 special-purpose ranges defined in RFCs 1918, 5737, 6598, 3849, 4193, 2544, and more. It will identify public, private, CGNAT, documentation, benchmarking, 6to4, Teredo, and unique local addresses with their RFC references.
100% Local Processing
All IP detection happens locally in your browser using pure JavaScript. The IP address you enter never leaves your device - no data is uploaded, no logs are stored, and no server-side processing occurs. Completely safe for analyzing any network addresses.
Common Use Cases for IP Type Detector
Network Troubleshooting
When diagnosing connectivity issues, use the IP type detector to quickly check whether an IP address is public, private, or link-local. This helps determine if a connection failure is due to NAT issues, incorrect subnet configuration, or an auto-assigned APIPA address.
Security Auditing
During security assessments, verify that internal systems only use private IP ranges and that no private IPs are exposed publicly. The IP type detector helps identify misconfigured systems that might be using unexpected address types.
Network Documentation Review
When reviewing network documentation or configuration files, quickly verify that documented IP addresses match their intended purpose. Check that example addresses use documentation ranges (192.0.2.0/24) rather than real addresses.
ISP & CGNAT Debugging
If you suspect your ISP uses Carrier-Grade NAT, check your WAN IP address with the detector. CGNAT addresses (100.64.0.0/10) can cause issues with VPNs, port forwarding, and peer-to-peer connections.
Learning IP Addressing
Use the IP type detector as an educational tool to explore different IP address classifications. Type in various addresses to see how they are categorized, and learn about the different CIDR ranges, RFCs, and their purposes.
Infrastructure Configuration
When configuring servers, firewalls, or load balancers, verify that the IP addresses used for different purposes (management, public-facing, internal communication) belong to the correct address ranges according to your network design.
Understanding IP Address Types and Classification
What is IP Address Classification?
IP address classification is the process of categorizing IP addresses based on their purpose and scope. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) allocates specific address ranges for different uses - private networks, loopback testing, multicast groups, documentation examples, and more. An IP type detector automatically checks an address against all these reserved ranges and identifies which category it belongs to, helping network administrators, security professionals, and students understand the nature of any IP address.
How Our IP Type Detector Works
- Parse and validate: The tool first determines whether the input is a valid IPv4 or IPv6 address. IPv4 addresses are parsed into a 32-bit integer for range comparison, while IPv6 addresses are expanded from their compressed notation into full 128-bit groups.
- Range matching: The parsed address is checked against all IANA-defined special-purpose ranges in a specific priority order - from the most specific ranges (like 127.0.0.0/8 for loopback) to general public ranges. IPv6 ranges are checked using bitwise prefix matching on the first hextets.
- Detailed output: Once classified, the tool displays the address type with a color-coded card, CIDR notation, RFC references, and additional technical details like binary representation, hexadecimal form, and expanded notation for IPv6.
Key IP Address Ranges and Their Uses
- Private (RFC 1918): 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16 for internal networks. Not routable on the public internet. Also fc00::/7 for IPv6 unique local addresses (RFC 4193).
- Loopback: 127.0.0.0/8 (IPv4) and ::1 (IPv6) for local machine communication. Traffic never leaves the device.
- Link-Local: 169.254.0.0/16 (IPv4 APIPA) and fe80::/10 (IPv6) for automatic local network configuration without DHCP.
- CGNAT (RFC 6598): 100.64.0.0/10 used by ISPs for shared address space. Also called NAT444 or Carrier-Grade NAT.
Privacy, Security & Availability
Your privacy is our priority. The IP Type Detector processes everything locally in your browser using pure JavaScript. IP addresses you enter are never uploaded, stored, logged, or transmitted to any server. This means you can safely analyze any IP address, including those within your private network infrastructure, without any privacy concerns. The tool is completely free, with no signup, no API keys, and no usage limits - available whenever you need it for network diagnostics, security audits, or education.
Related Tools
DNS Propagation Checker
Check if DNS changes have propagated by querying multiple global nameservers (Cloudflare, Google, Quad9). Shows propagation status across regions with live results and colour-coded status indicators - free online DNS propagation checker.
Domain Age Checker
Check the age of any domain in years, months, weeks, and days. Enter a domain name to get its creation date, registration timeline, registrar info, and SEO authority estimate based on domain age - all fetched from the official RDAP registry in real time. Free online domain age checker.
Bulk WHOIS Lookup
Check domain registration information for up to 20 domains at once using the RDAP protocol. View registrar, creation date, expiry date, nameservers, and domain status codes in a sortable table - free online bulk WHOIS lookup.
Domain Expiry Checker
Check when any domain expires - enter a domain name to see its expiration date, days remaining, registrar lock status, auto-renew status, and complete WHOIS details. Colour-coded health indicators show whether renewal is urgent. Free online domain expiry checker.