IP WHOIS Lookup
Find out who owns an IP address, including network range, organization details, and abuse contact information.
What is WHOIS?
WHOIS is a protocol for querying databases that store information about registered users of internet resources, including IP addresses and domain names.
For IP addresses, WHOIS data is maintained by Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) like ARIN (North America), RIPE (Europe), APNIC (Asia-Pacific), LACNIC (Latin America), and AFRINIC (Africa).
What Information Does WHOIS Provide?
- Network Range - The IP block this address belongs to
- Organization - The company or entity that owns the IPs
- Country - Where the network is registered
- Abuse Contact - Who to contact for abuse reports
- Registration Date - When the block was allocated
Common Uses for WHOIS Lookup
Report Abuse
Find the abuse contact to report spam, hacking attempts, or other malicious activity.
Security Research
Identify the organization behind suspicious IP addresses during incident investigation.
Network Planning
Check IP ownership and available ranges when planning network infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WHOIS show who is using an IP address?
No. WHOIS shows who owns the IP block (usually an ISP or company), not the individual user. For residential IPs, you'll typically see ISP information, not personal details.
Why is the location different from geolocation?
WHOIS shows where the IP block is registered (organization headquarters), while geolocation estimates where the IP is actually being used. These can differ significantly.
What are the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs)?
RIRs manage IP address allocation in different regions: ARIN (North America), RIPE NCC (Europe/Middle East), APNIC (Asia-Pacific), LACNIC (Latin America), and AFRINIC (Africa).
How do I report abuse to an IP owner?
Look for the "Abuse Contact" email in the WHOIS results. Send a detailed report including timestamps, IP addresses involved, and description of the abusive behavior. Most organizations have dedicated abuse teams that handle these reports.