Random IP Address Generator

Private, public, and reserved IPv4 address ranges

These blocks are set aside for special uses rather than for ordinary devices on the public internet. The Public type skips all of them, which leaves 3,702,258,432 IPv4 addresses to pick from.

The three private blocks are the ones home routers and office networks use. Many home routers use 192.168.0.x or 192.168.1.x. The 240.0.0.0/4 block also holds 255.255.255.255, the broadcast address for the local network.

IPv6 address types and how they are written

An IPv6 address is 128 bits, written as eight groups of four hex digits. The generator labels a single result with one of these types. Addresses outside all of them are reserved by the IETF for future use.

Unique local addresses use fd00::/8 in practice, since the other half of fc00::/7 has no defined use yet, and link-local addresses use fe80::/64. The generator picks from those smaller prefixes.

The short form drops leading zeros in each group and replaces the longest run of zero groups with ::, following RFC 5952. These two are the same address:

Full

2001:0db8:0000:0000:0008:0800:200c:417a

Short

2001:db8::8:800:200c:417a

When to use a random IP address generator

• ·Documentation and tutorials. Use the Documentation type for examples in guides, slides, and screenshots. Those addresses are set aside for that purpose and are not used on the public internet.
• ·Testing software. Fill log files, firewall rules, rate limiters, and forms with addresses to check that your code reads, stores, and sorts them correctly, including IPv6.
• ·Network labs and classes. Hand out random addresses from a subnet for practice, or make subnetting exercises. Custom range with a CIDR block keeps every address inside the network.
• ·Sample data. Build mock user records or analytics data. Generate up to 1,000 addresses at once and download them as a text file.

How to generate a random IP address in Excel, Python, and JavaScript

For a quick address in a spreadsheet or a script, these do the job. Unlike the generator, they do not skip reserved blocks unless you fix part of the address yourself.

="192.168." & RANDBETWEEN(0, 255) & "." & RANDBETWEEN(1, 254)

import ipaddress, random

net = ipaddress.ip_network("192.168.1.0/24")
str(net[random.randrange(net.num_addresses)])

Array.from({ length: 4 }, () => Math.floor(Math.random() * 256)).join(".");

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Random IP address generator questions

How do I generate a random IP address?

A random public IPv4 address appears when the page loads. Click Generate IP address for a new one, switch to IPv6, or change Address type to Private or Documentation.

Are random IP addresses real?

They are valid addresses, and a random public address may belong to a real company, server, or home connection. Do not use random public addresses in examples or send traffic to them. For examples, use the Documentation type, which is set aside for that and not used on the public internet.

Can a random IP address hide my location or change my IP?

No. Making up an address does not change the address your device uses online. Websites still see your real IP address. Only a VPN, a proxy, or your internet provider can change that.

Which IP addresses are safe to use in examples?

For IPv4, use 192.0.2.0/24, 198.51.100.0/24, and 203.0.113.0/24, set aside by RFC 5737. For IPv6, use 2001:db8::/32 from RFC 3849. Choose Documentation as the address type to get them.

How do I generate a random private IP like 192.168.x.x?

Set Address type to Private 192.168.0.0/16. For one subnet only, such as 192.168.1.x, choose Custom range and type 192.168.1.0/24.

Why do Private (any of the three) addresses mostly start with 10?

Each address is equally likely, and the 10.0.0.0/8 block holds about 94% of all private addresses. It has 16,777,216 addresses, compared with 1,048,576 in 172.16.0.0/12 and 65,536 in 192.168.0.0/16. Pick one block if you want a specific one.

How do I generate random IP addresses in a specific subnet?

Choose Custom range and type the CIDR block, such as 10.20.0.0/16, or a start and end address joined by a hyphen. If the CIDR has host bits set, like 192.168.1.5/24, the whole 192.168.1.0/24 network is used. The line under the box shows the exact range.

What does Public mean here?

It means the address is outside every private, reserved, and special-use block in the table on this page. That leaves 3,702,258,432 IPv4 addresses. It does not mean the address is assigned to anyone or in use.

Why skip addresses ending in .0 or .255?

In a /24 network, the address ending in .0 names the network and the one ending in .255 is the broadcast address, so neither can be given to a device. In bigger networks they are normal addresses, but many people avoid them to prevent confusion.

Why does the IPv6 address have :: in it?

IPv6 addresses are usually written in short form. Leading zeros in each group are dropped, and the longest run of all-zero groups becomes ::. Turn on Write IPv6 in full to see all eight groups of four digits.

Are the addresses really random?

Yes. Every pick uses your browser's secure random number generator, crypto.getRandomValues(), and every address in the chosen ranges is equally likely.

Is the random IP address generator free?

Yes. It is free with no signup, and it runs in your browser, so nothing is sent to a server. Results are not saved after you leave the page, so copy or download them first.