WhatIP Learn
Learn About IP Addresses, DNS, VPNs & Network Basics
Clear, practical guides that explain the internet connection details you see in WhatIP without unnecessary technical jargon.
What Is NAT?
See how Network Address Translation lets multiple devices share a public IPv4 address and how port mapping works.
NETWORKINGWhat Is CGNAT?
Understand carrier-grade NAT, shared public IPv4 addresses, and why inbound connections can be difficult.
IP NETWORKINGCIDR & Subnets
Learn how slash notation describes network prefixes, address blocks, and efficient IP allocation.
DNSDNS Record Types
Understand A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and NS records and what each one is used for.
DNSReverse DNS & PTR
Learn how an IP address can map back to a hostname and why reverse DNS matters.
REGISTRATIONRDAP vs WHOIS
Compare modern structured registration data with the older WHOIS lookup model.
ROUTINGBGP & ASN Routing
Understand how autonomous systems exchange routes and why ASN data appears in IP results.
DNSDNS TTL & Propagation
Find out why DNS changes can take time and how resolver caching affects what you see.
SECURITYIP Reputation & Blacklists
Learn how reputation lists work, why addresses get listed, and how to interpret a result.
NETWORKINGAnycast IP Addresses
Understand how one IP can be announced from multiple network locations for resilience and routing.
TRY A TOOLRun a DNS Lookup
Inspect the public DNS records returned for a domain with the free WhatIP DNS tool.
TRY A TOOLRun an ASN Lookup
Explore network ownership and autonomous system information for an IP address.
WhatIP Blog
Latest network guides
What Is My ISP and Why Does It Show Up in IP Lookups?
Quick answer: Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) is the company that assigns your connection its public IP address, which is why an…
IPv4 Address Exhaustion: Why the World Is Running Out of IPv4
Quick answer: IPv4 only allows about 4.3 billion unique addresses, and that supply was effectively used up years ago as the number…
How to Check If Your IP Address Is Blacklisted
Quick answer: Run your address through Blacklist Check to see whether reputation lists currently flag it, then review the listed reason before…