> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.ipcheck.ing/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.ipcheck.ing/knowledge-base/diagnose/why-do-sites-see-a-different-ip.md).

# Why Do Sites See a Different IP?

You check one site and it says your address is one thing. You check another and it says something else. MyIP's own cards may disagree with each other. This is confusing, but in most cases nothing is broken.

{% hint style="success" %}
**Quick answer.** You do not have "one IP". You have one address per protocol, per exit, per route. Different sites take different routes out of your machine, so they see different addresses. The multiple cards in MyIP's IP Infos section exist precisely to show you this.
{% endhint %}

## Check it in a minute

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Show more cards

Open **Preferences → Servers To Check IPs** and switch from two cards to six. Reload the page.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Read across the cards

Write down the address on each card. Cards that agree share a route. Cards that disagree take different routes — and the reason is one of the four below.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Compare with the site that confused you

If a site reported an address that appears on none of your cards, that site is probably behind a CDN, or is reporting an address from an older session. Reload it and check again before investigating further.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## The four ordinary reasons

### 1. Your proxy sends some destinations direct

By far the most common cause. Proxy and VPN software with rule sets — Clash, Surge, sing-box, Shadowrocket, corporate split tunnelling — decides per destination whether traffic goes through the tunnel or straight out. A site matched by a "direct" rule sees your home address. A site matched by a "proxy" rule sees the exit address.

Nothing is wrong. It is doing what you told it to.

**How to see it clearly.** Open **Advanced Tools → Rule Test**. MyIP fetches eight domains, `ptest-1.ipcheck.ing` through `ptest-8.ipcheck.ing`, and shows the exit IP, ISP, and region for each. Assign each one to a different rule in your config and the whole routing table becomes visible in a single screen.

Full guide: [Proxy Rule Test](/knowledge-base/network-tests/proxy-rule-test.md).

### 2. Your provider has several exits

Large networks — mobile carriers, ISPs using carrier-grade NAT, cloud VPN providers — do not push all customers through one address. They spread traffic across pools, and the address you get can change per connection, not just per session.

You will notice this most on mobile data. Reload the page twice and the last part of the address changes. There is no fix and none is needed. Background: [Public, Private & CGNAT Addresses](/knowledge-base/concepts/public-private-cgnat.md)

### 3. IPv4 and IPv6 are two separate addresses

If your connection supports both, you hold two addresses at once. Which one a site sees depends on whether that site publishes an IPv6 address and which one your device prefers.

This is why MyIP shows separate IPv4 and IPv6 cards, plus a combined **IPCheck.ing IPv6/4** card that reports whichever protocol your browser reached for first. All three can be correct at the same time.

A site that only speaks IPv4 will always see your IPv4 address, even if IPv6 is your device's normal preference. Background: [IPv4 vs IPv6](/knowledge-base/concepts/ipv4-vs-ipv6.md)

### 4. The site is behind a CDN

Large sites sit behind content delivery networks. When such a site tells you where you appear to be, it is often reporting the CDN edge location that served you, not a lookup of your address. Two sites on different CDNs can therefore report two different cities for the same connection.

This affects *reported location* more than *reported IP*, but it is a frequent source of "these two sites disagree". See [Why Is My IP Location Wrong?](/knowledge-base/diagnose/why-is-my-ip-location-wrong.md).

## Reading the IP cards as a diagnostic

Each card in [IP Infos](/knowledge-base/connection-tools/ip-information.md) is a separate question to a separate server. Switch to four or six cards in **Preferences → Servers To Check IPs** and the disagreements become informative.

| Pattern across the cards                   | What it usually means                                                                                                                |
| ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| All IPv4 cards identical                   | One consistent IPv4 exit. Simple setup.                                                                                              |
| IPv4 cards differ from each other          | Traffic is being split by destination, or your provider load-balances across a pool                                                  |
| IPv4 shows the VPN, IPv6 shows your ISP    | The VPN carries IPv4 only — that is a real leak, see [Am I Leaking My Real IP?](/knowledge-base/diagnose/am-i-leaking-my-real-ip.md) |
| The CN Source card differs from the others | Your proxy rules route China-based destinations differently                                                                          |
| A card is blank or errors                  | That protocol or that particular source is unreachable — not necessarily a problem                                                   |

{% hint style="info" %}
The **CN Source** card queries a China-based lookup service. If your proxy configuration has region-specific rules, this card is often the first place they show up.
{% endhint %}

## When a difference *is* a problem

Most differences are harmless. Two are not.

* **Your real IP appears where the VPN's should be.** Any card, the WebRTC test, or the DNS Leak Test showing your home ISP while the VPN is on is a leak. Go to [Am I Leaking My Real IP?](/knowledge-base/diagnose/am-i-leaking-my-real-ip.md).
* **A service keeps logging you out or asking for verification.** Some sites tie your session to your address. If your provider rotates addresses mid-session, the site sees a "new" user. Nothing is broken on your side, but a stable VPN exit will make it stop.

<details>

<summary>Why does the address change every time I reload?</summary>

Either your provider assigns from a rotating pool — common on mobile networks and with carrier-grade NAT — or your proxy client picks a different upstream server per connection. Watch it over a few minutes with **Preferences → IP History**, which records the addresses MyIP sees, in your browser only. A steadily changing address is a pool; a change only after reconnecting is your proxy.

</details>

<details>

<summary>My router shows a completely different address from MyIP</summary>

That is a different question, and usually means your ISP has placed you behind carrier-grade NAT. See [Am I Behind CGNAT?](/knowledge-base/diagnose/am-i-behind-cgnat.md).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Two IP databases disagree about the same address</summary>

Then the address is stable and only its *description* differs. Geolocation vendors build their data independently and update at different speeds. Switch database in **Preferences → IP Geolocation Database** and compare. Read [GeoIP: How IP Geolocation Works](/knowledge-base/concepts/geoip-explained.md).

</details>

## Still stuck?

* [Reading Your IP Cards](/knowledge-base/getting-started/reading-your-ip-cards.md) — what each field on a card means
* [Proxy Rule Test](/knowledge-base/network-tests/proxy-rule-test.md) — map your routing rules to actual exits
* [Is My VPN or Proxy Working?](/knowledge-base/diagnose/is-my-vpn-working.md) — the full end-to-end check


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