Emails/Forums Say My IP is X, Avast Says My IP is Y....How Possible?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kyphysics
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the discrepancy between the IP address reported by email services and forums versus the IP address identified by Avast Premium Security's WiFi Inspector. Participants explore the implications of private versus public IP addresses in the context of network security and tracking.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that Gmail and Yahoo! Mail report an IP address X, while Avast reports a different IP address Y for the user's laptop.
  • Another participant explains that routers typically assign local IP addresses (like 192.168.xx.xx) to devices connected to them, which may differ from the public IP address seen by external services.
  • A follow-up question arises regarding whether the use of 192.168 addresses is standard for all routers and the implications for privacy and security.
  • Participants discuss that 192.168 addresses are common in closed networks and are not useful for tracking, while the router's public IP address is necessary for internet connectivity and can be tracked.
  • It is mentioned that 192.168.x.x is reserved for private networks, meaning data sent to such addresses does not travel over the internet, which is a design feature.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the nature of private IP addresses and their role in network security, but there are differing views on the implications of using standard private IP addresses and concerns about tracking and privacy.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the standardization of private IP addresses and their security implications, as well as the specifics of how different devices on the same network are assigned IP addresses.

kyphysics
Messages
685
Reaction score
445
In Gmail and Yahoo! Mail, my IP address is listed as X (not going to post it for obvious privacy reasons) when I search "recent activity" in my account settings. Various forums (where I can see it) also corroborate X.

However, when I use Avast Premium Security's WiFi Inspector, which scans my network, it says there are several devices logged into it. My laptop (only one of its kind) has an IP of Y (and none of the other devices have an IP of X).

How would it be possible that my anti-virus protection says my IP is one thing and other presumably trustworthy sources say it's something else?
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
You have a router which gives out one IP and since your computer and other devices are plugged into it or wirelessly connected to it they will have one IP address relative to the router network usually 192.168.xx.xx
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: kyphysics and Vanadium 50
jedishrfu said:
You have a router which gives out one IP and since your computer and other devices are plugged into it or wirelessly connected to it they will have one IP address relative to the router network usually 192.168.xx.xx
192...is right...won't comment on the other part (for now).

Is taht some standard IP for ALL routers? How did you guess that right? If it's really all the same, does that open up easy tracking or hacking then? I thought people liked to keep IP private from others?
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: jedishrfu
The 192.168 usage has been common to closed networks as far as I know. Hence its useless for tracking.

Your routers public IP is trackable though as a necessary feature of internet usage.

https://192-168-1-1ip.mobi/
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: kyphysics and Vanadium 50
jedishrfu said:
The 192.168 usage has been common to closed networks as far as I know. Hence its useless for tracking.

192.168.x.x is one of the three ranges reserved for private networks. By design data sent from or to such an address does not travel over the internet. That's why your router has a different public-facing address assigned by your ISP.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: kyphysics

Similar threads

Anonimity: Time to take the internet back.
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
Is Google Scanning Your Emails Really a Privacy Concern?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
4K
Graduate BRS: PKI Cryptosystems for SA/Ms: A Tutorial
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
4K
Oh no the government saw what I read, shut up, you don't care
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K