IP WHOIS Lookup: Identify Who Owns an IP Address

[Andrew]

An IP WHOIS lookup is a tool that helps users identify details and who owns an IP address. Performing an IP WHOIS lookup can help with dealing with online abuse, business intelligence, or legal research.

What exactly is an IP WHOIS lookup?​

IP WHOIS lookups are performed against a database maintained by a Regional Internet Registry (RIR) using the WHOIS protocol. In addition to IP addresses, domains can also have a WHOIS performed against them. The information from a WHOIS is similar no matter which RIR you use but some RIRs might restrict information due to privacy regulations within their area.

Read More: IP Address Governance and Allocation

Information commonly found during an IP WHOIS lookup:​

An IP WHOIS lookup is a useful way to get registration details on an IP address. The common information returned when doing the lookup is as follows:

• Organization
• Organization mailing address
• Organization phone number
• Abuse mailing address
• Abuse email address
• Technical email address
• Technical phone number

How to report abuse from an IP address?​

If you are experiencing abuse online then you should report it. Online abuse could come in the forum of harassment or other harmful activity generated from an IP address. In some cases abuse should be reported to law enforcement.

It is also important to remember that sometimes online abuse may come from an IP address without the owner of the IP address being aware. Reporting the IP address to the organization that owns the IP address is often enough to resolve the issue.

Steps for reporting an IP address:

1. Retrieve the IP address from the logs / headers
   
   
2. Use the IP WHOIS Lookup tool to retrieve the WHOIS data for the IP
   
   
3. Report the behavior of the IP to the "OrgAbuseEmail" or "OrgAbusePhone"

If you have any questions or comments about this article then please feel free to comment below or make a post in our forums.

 

[Andrew]

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