Private IP Address Checker
Check if an IPv4 or IPv6 address is private, loopback, link-local, CGNAT or otherwise special — with the matching RFC and public-routability verdict.
Classification
- Address
- 192.168.1.50
- Family
- IPv4
- Matched range
- 192.168.0.0/16
- Range purpose
- Private network
- Defined in
- RFC 1918
Special-purpose ranges checked
| Range | Purpose | RFC | Public internet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 255.255.255.255/32 | Limited broadcast | RFC 919 | not routable |
| 192.0.2.0/24 | Documentation (TEST-NET-1) | RFC 5737 | not routable |
| 198.51.100.0/24 | Documentation (TEST-NET-2) | RFC 5737 | not routable |
| 203.0.113.0/24 | Documentation (TEST-NET-3) | RFC 5737 | not routable |
| 192.0.0.0/24 | IETF protocol assignments | RFC 6890 | not routable |
| 192.88.99.0/24 | 6to4 relay anycast (deprecated) | RFC 7526 | routable |
| 192.168.0.0/16 | Private network | RFC 1918 | not routable |
| 169.254.0.0/16 | Link-local (APIPA) | RFC 3927 | not routable |
| 198.18.0.0/15 | Network benchmarking | RFC 2544 | not routable |
| 172.16.0.0/12 | Private network | RFC 1918 | not routable |
| 100.64.0.0/10 | Carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT) | RFC 6598 | not routable |
| 0.0.0.0/8 | "This network" / unspecified | RFC 791 | not routable |
| 10.0.0.0/8 | Private network | RFC 1918 | not routable |
| 127.0.0.0/8 | Loopback | RFC 1122 | not routable |
| 224.0.0.0/4 | Multicast (class D) | RFC 5771 | not routable |
| 240.0.0.0/4 | Reserved for future use (class E) | RFC 1112 | not routable |
| ::/128 | Unspecified address | RFC 4291 | not routable |
| ::1/128 | Loopback | RFC 4291 | not routable |
| ::ffff:0:0/96 | IPv4-mapped IPv6 | RFC 4291 | not routable |
| 64:ff9b::/96 | NAT64 well-known prefix | RFC 6052 | routable |
| 100::/64 | Discard-only prefix | RFC 6666 | not routable |
| 2001:db8::/32 | Documentation | RFC 3849 | not routable |
| 2002::/16 | 6to4 | RFC 3056 | routable |
| fc00::/7 | Unique local address (ULA) | RFC 4193 | not routable |
| fe80::/10 | Link-local | RFC 4291 | not routable |
| ff00::/8 | Multicast | RFC 4291 | not routable |
What is the Private IP Address Checker?
The Private IP Address Checker classifies any IPv4 or IPv6 address against the complete table of special-purpose ranges: RFC 1918 private blocks (10/8, 172.
- Covers all RFC 1918 private ranges plus 12 more IPv4 special blocks
- IPv6 aware: loopback, ULA, link-local, multicast, documentation, NAT64
- Clear public-internet routability verdict for every address
- Names the exact matching CIDR range and its defining RFC
- Built-in reference table of every range checked
- Static local lookup — no geolocation, no lookups, no tracking
How to use the Private IP Address Checker
- 1
Type or paste an IPv4 or IPv6 address.
- 2
Read the verdict: public and routable, or the special range it belongs to.
- 3
Check the matched range's purpose and defining RFC in the details panel.
- 4
Browse the full special-purpose range table below for reference.
About the Private IP Address Checker
The Private IP Address Checker classifies any IPv4 or IPv6 address against the complete table of special-purpose ranges: RFC 1918 private blocks (10/8, 172.16/12, 192.168/16), loopback, link-local/APIPA, carrier-grade NAT (100.64/10), documentation and benchmarking ranges, multicast, and the IPv6 equivalents — ULA fc00::/7, link-local fe80::/10, and more.
For each address you get a plain-English verdict: whether it is routable on the public internet, which reserved range it matched, what that range is for, and the RFC that defines it. The full reference table of every range checked is shown underneath, so the tool doubles as a cheat sheet.
Classification is a static range-table lookup computed locally in your browser — there is no geolocation, no WHOIS and no network traffic of any kind.
Frequently asked questions
What are the private IP address ranges?
RFC 1918 reserves three IPv4 blocks for private networks: 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12 and 192.168.0.0/16. Addresses in these ranges are never routed on the public internet, which is why every home router can use 192.168.1.1 simultaneously.
Is 100.64.x.x a private IP address?
Not exactly — 100.64.0.0/10 is the carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT) shared address space from RFC 6598. ISPs use it between customer routers and their own NAT infrastructure. It behaves like private space but is reserved specifically so it never collides with customers' RFC 1918 networks.
What is the difference between 127.0.0.1 and 169.254.x.x?
127.0.0.1 is loopback — traffic to it never leaves your machine. 169.254.0.0/16 is link-local (APIPA): a machine assigns itself one of these when DHCP fails, and the address only works on the local network segment. Seeing one usually signals a DHCP problem.
What are the IPv6 equivalents of private addresses?
Unique Local Addresses (fc00::/7, in practice fd00::/8) are the IPv6 analogue of RFC 1918 space, and fe80::/10 is link-local, automatically present on every IPv6 interface. ::1 is the loopback, equivalent to 127.0.0.1.
Does this tool tell me where an IP address is located?
No. It classifies addresses purely against the published IANA/RFC special-purpose registries using local math — no geolocation database is involved and no query is sent. For a public address it can only say "routable on the internet", not where it is.
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