Network privacy guides
Short, practical explanations for IP addresses, VPNs, DNS, WebRTC and browser privacy.
A public IP address is the internet-facing address websites see when your browser connects. It usually identifies a network connection or gateway—not a person or an exact home address.
Location databases estimate a country, region or city from network registration and routing data. Mobile networks, business gateways, VPNs and proxies can make that estimate less accurate.
IPv4 uses shorter addresses such as 192.0.2.1. IPv6 uses a much larger address space and looks like 2001:db8::1. A connection can support both protocols and choose a route for each request.
A VPN normally replaces the IP visible to websites with an address operated by the VPN provider. It can protect traffic on untrusted networks, but it shifts trust to the VPN operator and does not make a browser anonymous by itself.
DNS requests can reveal which domains are being resolved. WebRTC can expose additional network candidates during direct browser connections. Reliable DNS testing needs an authoritative DNS service; WebRTC results also depend on browser privacy controls.
Language, time zone, screen size, hardware hints and other ordinary browser signals can be combined into a recognizable profile. Private browsing reduces local history but does not remove every fingerprinting signal.