DNSprobe Wiki - IP
IP Type
The IP Type section identifies whether an address is public, private, local, or reserved.
This is essential before testing service availability: a private or reserved IP usually should not be reachable from the internet.
DNSprobe distinguishes IPv4, IPv6, and several special ranges to avoid misleading conclusions about ports, reverse DNS, or geolocation.
1. Overview
A public IP can be reachable on the internet. A private, loopback, link-local, or reserved IP is usually meant for internal networks or documentation.
Knowing the address type prevents unnecessary scans against an IP that cannot be reached externally.
2. What DNSprobe checks
DNSprobe classifies the address before running network checks that depend on a public IP.
- Validation of IPv4 or IPv6 format.
- Detection of private, loopback, link-local, and reserved ranges.
- Decision whether to run public sections such as ports, reputation, or geolocation.
3. Interpreting results
The result is a guardrail for reading the following sections.
- Public: the address can generally be tested from the internet.
- Private or loopback: the address does not represent a publicly reachable service.
- Unknown: the format or range should be checked manually.
4. Best practices
- Publish only public addresses in public DNS.
- Avoid private IPs in public A/AAAA records, except for very specific split-DNS setups.
- Check IPv6 separately because its connectivity may differ from IPv4.
- Document public IPs associated with critical services.
5. Manual tests
Check resolution and address type locally.
dig A example.com +short
dig AAAA example.com +short
ipcalc 203.0.113.10The 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, and 192.168.0.0/16 ranges are private in IPv4.