How to Look up an IP Address Owner

Every IP address is registered to an owner

By
Bradley Mitchell
Bradley Mitchell
Writer
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • University of Illinois
An MIT graduate who brings years of technical experience to articles on SEO, computers, and wireless networking.
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Updated on May 14, 2022
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
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Reviewed by Ryan Perian
  • Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
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What to Know

  • If you know the IP address, enter it on ARIN WHOIS to view ownership.
  • To find an IP address, open Windows command prompt (Start + CMD on Windows) > type ping websitename.com.
  • To find an IP address owner if you don't know the IP address, use Register.com, GoDaddy, or DomainTools.

This article explains how to find the owner of an IP address, whether you know the IP address or not. Also included are instructions for finding an IP address using the Windows command prompt.

How to Find Out Who Owns an IP Address

Every internet protocol (IP) address used on the internet is registered to an owner. The owner may be an individual or a representative of a larger organization such as an internet service provider. Many websites don't conceal their ownership, so you can look up this public information to find the owner. However, some services allow the owner to remain anonymous. As a result, their contact information and name are not easily found.

ARIN WHOIS service queries the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) for an IP address and displays who owns the IP address and other information such as a contact number, a list of other IP addresses in that range with the same owner, and dates of registration.

For example, for the 216.58.194.78 IP address, ARIN WHOIS says the owner is Google.

Person finding the registered owner of an IP address
Lifewire / Alex Dos Diaz

If You Don't Know the IP Address

Some services are similar to ARIN WHOIS, but they can search for the website owner even when the website's IP address is unknown. Examples include Register.com, GoDaddy, and DomainTools.

To use ARIN WHOIS to find the owner of an IP address, convert the website to its IP address using a ping command in the Windows command prompt. Open the command prompt and type the following to find the website's IP address: 

ping websitename.com

Replace websitename with the website you want to find the IP address for.

ping facebook.com example in Command Prompt

About Private and Other Reserved IP Addresses

Some IP address ranges are reserved for use on private networks or for internet research. Attempting to look up these IP addresses in Whois returns an owner such as Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). However, these same addresses are employed on many home and business networks worldwide. To find who owns a private IP address in an organization, contact their network system administrator.

FAQ
  • What is my IP address?

    To find your IP address quickly and easily, visit a third-party IP address identification website. Some websites to try include WhatIsMyIPAddress.com, IP Chicken, WhatIsMyIP.com, and IP-Lookup.

  • How do I change an IP address?

    To change an IP address on Windows, open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings. Double-click the connection, select Properties > Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and change the address. On a Mac, go to System Preferences > Network. Select a network, choose Advanced > TCP/IP, and select Manually.

  • How do I find a Roku IP address?

    To find a Roku IP address, use your remote to navigate to Roku settings, search for the networking option, and look under About. You'll find your Roku's IP address and other helpful network information about your device.

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