Search the Whois database

IP address registration information may be located using one of the five Regional Internet Registry Whois databases. These activities will show you how to find the registrant or service provider for a given IP address.

Preparation

To prepare for this activity:

1. Start Windows.
2. Log in if necessary.

Activity 1 - Determine your Regional Internet Registry

To determine your Regional Internet Registry:

1. Review Wikipedia: Regional Internet Registry.

Activity 2 - Search for a Public IPv4 Address

To search for a public IPv4 address:

1. Navigate to the home page of one of the five regional Internet registries:
   • African Network Information Centre
   • American Registry for Internet Numbers
   • Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre
   • Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Centre
   • RIPE Network Coordination Centre
2. Locate the Whois / Search Database feature on the registry home page.
3. Enter 8.8.8.8 in the search box. This is the IPv4 address of one of Google's public DNS servers. Press Enter or select the submit button to submit your search.
4. Review the returned registration information.

Activity 3 - Search for a Private IPv4 Address

To search for a private IPv4 address:

1. Enter 192.168.0.1 in the search box. This is a private IP address. Press Enter or select the submit button to submit your search.
2. Review the returned registration information.

Activity 4 - Search for a Link-Local IPv4 Address

To search for a link-local IPv4 address:

1. Enter 169.254.1.1 in the search box. This is a loopback address. Press Enter or select the submit button to submit your search.
2. Review the returned registration information.

Activity 5 - Search for a Loopback IPv4 Address

To search for a loopback IPv4 address:

1. Enter 127.0.0.1 in the search box. This is a loopback address. Press Enter or select the submit button to submit your search.
2. Review the returned registration information.

Activity 6 - Search for a Multicast IPv4 Address

To search for a multicast IPv4 address:

1. Enter 224.0.0.1 in the search box. This is a loopback address. Press Enter or select the submit button to submit your search.
2. Review the returned registration information.

Activity 7 - Search for a Reserved IPv4 Address

To search for a reserved IPv4 address:

1. Enter 240.0.0.1 in the search box. This is a loopback address. Press Enter or select the submit button to submit your search.
2. Review the returned registration information.

Activity 8 - Search for a Public IPv6 Address

To search for a public IPv6 address:

1. Enter 2001:4860:4860::8888 in the search box. This is the IPv6 address of one of Google's public DNS servers. Press Enter or select the submit button to submit your search.
2. Review the returned registration information.

Readings

• Wikipedia: Regional Internet Registry
• Wikipedia: Whois
• Wikipedia: IP Address