Whois / RDAP Lookup — IP registry data

What is a whois / RDAP lookup?

Every public IP address is assigned to an organization and recorded in a regional internet registry (ARIN, RIPE, APNIC, LACNIC or AFRINIC). A whois lookup reads that registration: the network name and range the address belongs to, the country, the type of allocation, and the responsible contacts — the operator plus the abuse contact for reporting misuse. This tool uses RDAP (RFC 7482), the modern structured replacement for legacy port-43 whois, and queries the right registry automatically. It shows registry data about the network, not the identity of a person using the address.

FAQ

What is the difference between whois and RDAP?

They return the same kind of registration data, but RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) is the modern replacement: it responds in structured JSON over HTTPS, supports standard queries across all registries, and handles redaction of personal data consistently. Legacy whois used a plain-text format over port 43 that every registry formatted differently. This tool uses RDAP.

Can whois reveal who owns an IP personally?

No. Whois/RDAP shows the organization that holds the IP block — an ISP, hosting company or business — plus an abuse contact, not the individual using a given address. For most consumer IPs the registrant is the internet provider. Linking an IP to a specific subscriber requires the provider and, usually, a legal request.

What is the abuse contact for?

The abuse contact is the address a network publishes for reports of misuse coming from its IPs — spam, hacking attempts, malware. If an IP is attacking you, that contact is where a complaint should go. It’s one of the most useful fields whois exposes.

What is an IP range in whois?

The range (startAddress–endAddress) is the block of consecutive addresses allocated to the network as one unit, for example 1.1.1.0–1.1.1.255 for a /24. Every address in that range belongs to the same registrant, so looking up one address tells you who runs the whole block.

Whois for 216.73.216.184

What is a whois / RDAP lookup?

FAQ