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To check whether your public IP address is exposed, first decide what you mean: finding the address websites can see, checking which services appear reachable at that address, or testing whether a VPN is revealing your usual address. A public IP being visible during normal internet use is expected; it does not by itself mean your account was breached or your device was compromised.

What does “public IP exposed” mean?

When you connect to a website, it can generally see the public address from which your connection arrives. That is ordinary internet operation, not proof of malicious access. If you are worried about a VPN, the relevant question is whether a site can still see your usual ISP address while the VPN is connected.

A separate concern is whether services on your home network appear reachable from the internet. Those checks look for indexed host and service information, not whether someone has logged in or taken control of a device. Also, a router’s WAN address is not always publicly reachable: an ISP may use NAT, particularly with mobile broadband, so do not assume every address shown in router settings is a public IP. Traficom explains how to check the address and this NAT limitation.

Find the public address websites see

  1. Open your router’s connection or internet-status settings, or visit a reputable IP measurement page.

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  2. Note the displayed IPv4 and, if available, IPv6 addresses. Router labels vary by manufacturer; look for the WAN, internet, or external address.

  3. If you are checking a VPN, record the address while the VPN is disconnected. You will compare it with the address shown after reconnecting.

Check which services are indexed at your address

If you want to know what may be visible from your home network, search the public address in both Censys and Shodan. These services index information about internet-facing hosts; they are not live, definitive scans of every possible path to your network. Their results may differ, and an empty result does not prove that no service is reachable.

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Review any listed service and ask whether you intentionally made it public and whether it is configured securely. Traficom cautions that home-network services generally should not be publicly visible without careful handling. Its guidance links to host searches for Censys and Shodan.

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Test whether a VPN hides your usual public IP

  1. Disconnect the VPN and use an IP checker to record the public address. Note the device, browser, and network used.

  2. Connect the VPN, then reload the checker or open it in a fresh tab. Record the address it shows.

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  3. If the original ISP address still appears, investigate the VPN’s routing and browser support. Repeat the test after changing the browser, VPN server, device, or network if you need to isolate which setup is responsible.

This comparison describes only the exact setup tested; another browser, device, or network can behave differently. ExpressVPN publishes a similar baseline-comparison procedure for WebRTC checks, which is provider guidance rather than independent certification: ExpressVPN’s leak-test instructions.

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Check WebRTC, IPv6, and DNS separately

WebRTC

WebRTC enables browser-based real-time connections and uses ICE address discovery. Depending on the configuration, a website may learn addresses beyond the one visible in an ordinary web request. The IETF’s RFC 8828 describes, for example, how WebRTC can discover both a VPN address and an ISP public address with split tunneling, or reach STUN servers directly when a proxy allows direct internet access. It notes that collected addresses usually include an endpoint’s private physical or virtual addresses and its public internet addresses.

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A private or local address is not the same as your ISP’s public address, though RFC 8828 notes that address information can contribute to fingerprinting or linking activity across contexts. If a WebRTC test shows the same public ISP address you recorded with the VPN off, treat it as a potential leak and check the VPN’s browser support and routing settings. Do not assume disabling WebRTC is the universal remedy; it also supports useful peer-to-peer applications, and the standard describes more nuanced privacy mitigations. Read IETF RFC 8828, “WebRTC IP Address Handling Requirements” (May 2021).

IPv6

IPv6 can use a different route from IPv4. With the VPN active, check whether an IPv6 address is visible and compare it with the expected VPN exit, or confirm whether the VPN supports IPv6. A test that only made an IPv4 request does not establish what happens to IPv6 traffic.

DNS

DNS is a different layer: it concerns which resolver handles domain-name lookups. An IP checker that shows your public address cannot tell you which DNS resolver answered. A DNS leak check must observe the resolver handling a fresh lookup; the methodology described by VPN & Privacy is that publisher’s approach, not an authoritative standard.

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What to do if you suspect your connection is being misused

An IP checker result or a host-search listing alone does not show that anyone has accessed your network. If you see signs that your connection is carrying traffic you do not recognize, investigate the devices and software using it:

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center warns that compromised devices, bundled software development kits, malware, and certain free-VPN terms can place residential connections in proxy networks. Its guidance recommends trusted app sources, software updates, and monitoring home-network traffic and connected devices: FBI IC3’s 2024 public service announcement.

Keep the result in context

Record what each check actually observed: ordinary web traffic, WebRTC candidates, IPv6, DNS resolver, or indexed host services. Note whether the VPN was on and which device, browser, and network you tested. For address results, distinguish a public ISP address from a local/private address; for host searches, compare Censys and Shodan rather than treating either index as complete.

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