Public IP Address?
When I start a Linode, it shows what is calls a "Public IP" but the numbers indicate it's actually private. Why is this? How do I get a true public IP? I need to provide it to a colleague who needs it to send me data.
1 Reply
mtcotton846
Linode Staff
Every Linode has a Public IP address associated with it. Public IP addresses are required for the service to be accessible by you and is a unique identifier for your machine.
The fundamental difference between public and private IP addresses is how/what they can be used for: A private IP address is a static IP address that can only communicate with other Linodes in the same datacenter. Usually they're used for communications between two of your Linodes who need to share data, such as a webserver and database. As such, if you tried to connect to a private IP address from your home computer, you would be out of luck.
A public IP address is, well, public. Anyone can access it. You can find your machine's public IP address by logging into your account, clicking on the "Linodes" tab, then "Networking" where you will see a Public, and if you opted to add one, a private IP address. You can also see images of these steps here:
https://www.linode.com/docs/guides/find-your-linodes-ip-address/
If you are under the impression that any public IP address listed on your account is actually private, please open a support ticket and the Linode team will take steps to assist you further.
-Micah