An IP address is a set of numbers that identify computers and allow for communication between a sender and receiver. IP addresses can be either static or dynamic:

• Static—IP address does not change but are specific to a given machine.
• Dynamic—IP address is assigned to a machine usually upon sign in and will have that address only for the duration of a session or a specific amount of time. This allows Internet Service Providers (such as cable modem or DSL service providers) with a limited number IP addresses to service a large number of clients. When connecting, clients are assigned an IP address from a pool of available IP addresses by a server set up to handle dynamic IP address requests.

IP addresses contain 32-bits and are expressed as a series of four decimal numbers (also known as a dot address) such as 66.94.230.32 (an IP address for Yahoo).

You can choose to block individual IP addresses or block a range of IP addresses depending on which action you wish to take.

You can use reverse DNS lookup to look up information about a particular IP address including the country of origin and the organization that owns the IP address. Some IP address registries include additional information but this varies by registrar.

Note: Turbify provides the IP address blocking feature as is and without warranty of any kind to Merchant Solutions and Store merchants to be used at the merchants' discretion. Merchants should carefully review the Reverse DNS Lookup information provided before blocking any IP address, as IP addresses may be dynamically assigned to users by certain Internet Service Providers possibly blocking legitimate buyers and not ensuring the fraudster is blocked from ordering. Also, as IP addresses may be falsified, merchants are advised to use AVS and CVV responses to determine which orders to approve, reject, or follow up with the issuing bank.

Learn more about IP addresses

• TechTarget—definition of IP addresses
• Wikipedia—explanation of IP addresses

See Also:

• IP blocking overview
• Block an individual IP address
• Block a range of IP addresses
• Remove an IP address from the Block List
• What is CIDR?
• What will a customer see coming from a blocked IP?
• What are the signs of a suspect order?
• Can IP addresses be spoofed or falsified?