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Every internet-connected device operates with two distinct IP addresses: a Private IP Address used exclusively inside your local home or office network (LAN), and a Public IP Address visible to the external global internet (WAN) through your router's gateway.
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Understanding the architectural boundary between public WAN and private LAN addressing is essential for port forwarding, remote access, and security troubleshooting.
| Attribute | Private IP Address (LAN) | Public IP Address (WAN) |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of Visibility | Local Area Network only (home / office) | Entire global internet |
| Routability | Non-routable over public internet backbones | Fully routable globally |
| Assigned By | Your local router DHCP service | Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) |
| Uniqueness | Unique ONLY within your private LAN | Globally unique across the entire world |
| Standard Range | 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16 | All non-reserved public IPv4 blocks |
| Security Risk | Zero direct inbound internet access (NAT protected) | Exposed to automated port scanners & DDoS |
Discover your local machine's internal IP address using these native commands:
# Linux: Show all interface private IP addresses and subnets ip -4 addr show # macOS: Show Wi-Fi interface private IP ipconfig getifaddr en0 # Windows Command Prompt: ipconfig | findstr /i "IPv4" # Windows PowerShell: Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi*"
Because your public IP is assigned to your gateway router's external WAN interface, your computer must query an outside internet server to see how your packets appear to the outside world:
# Query public IPv4 via curl curl -s https://ifconfig.me # or curl -s https://api.ipify.org # Query public IPv6 address curl -6s https://ifconfig.co # Windows PowerShell command: (Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.ipify.org")
If the WAN IP reported in your router admin console begins with 100.64.x.x through 100.127.x.x, your ISP is using Carrier-Grade NAT (RFC 6598). Under CGNAT, your router does not possess a true public IP; instead, you share an IP with dozens of neighbors, preventing direct port forwarding or hosting home servers.
AI Mobile App Developer & Full-Stack Systems Engineer•Dhaka, Bangladesh
Bayajit Islam is an AI Mobile App Developer and Full-Stack Systems Engineer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. With 2+ years of hands-on production experience building cross-platform apps for iOS, Android & Desktop with Flutter & Dart, asynchronous backends with FastAPI & Python, and modern web applications with Next.js, TypeScript, and Docker, he engineered LotsofNetwork as a zero-latency, privacy-first diagnostic platform for developers and network administrators.
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