CheckMyIP.tools

Pip’s library

Guides & how-tos

14 plain-English guides about IP addresses, privacy, home networks and DNS – written to help you understand the results of our tools and fix real problems.

IP address basics

How to Find Your Public and Private IP AddressEvery device has two kinds of IP address. Here is what each one does and how to find them on any device.7 min read Static vs Dynamic IP Address: What’s the Difference?Why does your IP address keep changing – and do you actually need one that stays the same?6 min read How to Change Your IP Address (7 Safe Methods)From restarting your router to using a VPN, here are the reliable ways to get a new IP address and what each one really changes.7 min read Why Does My IP Address Show the Wrong Location?Websites think you are in another city – or another country. Here is why it happens and what you can do about it.6 min read IPv6 Explained: What It Is and Do You Need It?IPv6 is slowly replacing IPv4. Here is what changes for you, and how to check whether your connection is ready.7 min read

Privacy & VPNs

How to Fix a DNS Leak on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhoneYour VPN is on, but your internet provider can still see which sites you visit. Here is how to close the leak for good.8 min read How to Stop WebRTC Leaks in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari and BraveWebRTC makes video calls work in your browser – and can quietly reveal your real IP address. Here is how to lock it down.6 min read Browser Fingerprinting: What It Is and How to Reduce ItClearing cookies is not enough. Here is how fingerprinting works and what actually helps against it.7 min read

Home network & connectivity

Port Forwarding Explained: How to Open a Port on Your RouterWant to host a game server, reach a camera or use remote desktop from outside? This is how to open a port safely.9 min read What Is CGNAT? Why Port Forwarding Doesn’t Work for YouYou forwarded the port perfectly and it still shows closed. Your provider might be sharing one public IP between many customers.7 min read How to Read Ping and Traceroute ResultsPing and traceroute are the first tools network engineers reach for. Here is how to make sense of what they tell you.8 min read Subnetting and CIDR Explained with ExamplesWhat does /24 actually mean? A friendly walkthrough of subnetting, with worked examples you can check in our calculator.9 min read

DNS, email & domains

DNS Records Explained: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and MoreDNS is the internet’s address book. Here is what every common record type means and how to check yours.8 min read Why Is My IP Blacklisted? How to Get DelistedEmails bouncing with “listed on a blocklist”? Here is how to find out why, fix the cause and get your IP removed.8 min read

How we write our guides

Our guides are written by the team behind CheckMyIP.tools and are based on the relevant standards and the official documentation of operating systems, browsers and DNS blocklists. We update a guide when menus or defaults change, and each article shows the date it was last updated. Router menus differ between brands, so we describe settings by the names they commonly use.

We explain why something works, not just which button to press, so you can adapt the steps when your router or app looks a little different. If you spot a mistake or have a topic you would like us to cover, please contact us.