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How to Trace an IP Address

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Just in case you still don't know, an internet protocol address or IP address is a set of numbers that uniquely identifies each device — such as computers, mobile phones, cameras and printers — connected to a TCP/IP network. All IP addresses have two main parts. One of the numerical parts identifies the network and the other one is the host. In some cases, obtaining an IP address is enough to trace it to a general location — or even right down to the device itself. So how can you trace an IP address? The following shows one way of obtaining particular IP address and how you can go about tracing its physical location.

Obtain the IP Address Via the Command Prompt.

One way of obtaining the IP address — say for a particular website — is by using the Windows command prompt. If you already have the IP address of the device you want to trace, proceed to the next step. Open the command prompt by typing "cmd" on the Windows search field. Type "ping (host name). For example, if you want to know the IP address of Instagram type "ping Instagram.com." A line will appear that says "Pinging (website) (IP address)" or "Pinging instagram.com (IP address)."

Use a Free IP locator tool

Once you have the IP address, go to one of the many websites that offer free IP locator services. For this instruction, the free IP locator service is whoisdomaintools.com. On the address bar, type http://whoisdomaintools.com/ (IP address that you want to trace).

Check the Results

The results will yield the IP address' country of origin, the internet service provider (ISP) or organization that owns the IP, and the proximity location. There are other IP locator tools available online, and you may try them as well. Some tools may work better at tracing the IP address' physical location and others may not give you good results.

Call the ISP

Keep in mind that the results may not be even close to the actual physical location of the device. However, the ISP on the trace results will very likely be right on the money. If you're bent on finding out the physical location of the IP address, consider calling the ISP and ask for their help in finding out its physical address.

Explore Legal Means

There's a strong chance the ISP's internal protocols will keep them from revealing the physical location of the ISP. This protects their subscribers from scams, extortions and stalking. However, if you're tracing a particular ISP because you were a victim of a scam, extortion or harassment by a stalker using one of their nodes, then you may explore legal means to get the ISP to give you the physical location of an IP address.