To the knowledge base

Identifying the address range of the IPv4 address for the internet connection

For computers, smartphones, and other network devices to communicate with each other, each device must be addressable via a unique IP address. When the FRITZ!Box connects to the internet, the internet service provider assigns it an IP address for communication on the internet.

When Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is used, each IP address can be associated with one of the following address ranges:

  • Private address ranges:
    • IP addresses from private address ranges are intended exclusively for communication in private networks (for example the FRITZ!Box home network) and can therefore be used in an unlimited number of networks at the same time. Since they are never forwarded (routed) over the internet, devices with IP addresses from private IP address ranges cannot be accessed from the internet.

      Note:For more information on "private addresses", see Wikipedia.

  • Public address ranges:
    • IP addresses from public address ranges are only used by a single device at a time worldwide. Since they make it possible to unequivocally identify network devices, they are forwarded on the internet (routed) and therefore allow the network devices to be accessed from the internet.

Identifying the address range of an IP address

  1. Click "Internet" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Online Monitor" in the "Internet" menu.
  3. Check which IP address is displayed in the line "Internet, IPv4". If the IP address is not displayed, enable the Advanced View first.
    • The FRITZ!Box is using an IP address from the private address range if an IP address from one of the following ranges is displayed:
    • 10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255
    • 100.64.0.0 - 100.127.255.255 (Carrier-grade NAT)
    • 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255
    • 192.0.0.0 - 192.0.0.7 (dual-stack lite)
    • 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255
    • The FRITZ!Box is using an IP address from the public address range if an IP address from a different range is displayed.
    • The FRITZ!Box does not have a public IPv4 address if the message "FRITZ!Box is using a DS Lite tunnel" is displayed. In this case, the FRITZ!Box cannot be accessed from the internet over IPv4.