ExpressVPNLightway listed
- Protocol
- Lightway listed
- Server technology
- TrustedServer RAM-only design described
Free tool. No sign-up. Nothing stored.
Who is my ISP?
Your internet service provider, the company that owns the network, and what it can see about what you do online.
The network sites seeDetected just now
Anthropic, PBC
A cloud data center network, not a home provider
Not stored
- Your IP address
- 216.73.217.72 IP details
- Approximate location
- Columbus, Ohio, United StatesUS
- Network (ASN)
- AS16509
Anthropic, PBC - Hostname
Not available
Network, hostname and type
ASN: AS16509 Anthropic, PBC. Hostname: Not available.
Not the name on your bill? Why the provider name can differ.
What your provider's records look like
An example of the connection records a provider can keep, with and without a VPN. Not your data: we cannot see your history.
| Time | Site | Data |
|---|---|---|
| 08:02 | youtube.com | 1.2 GB |
| 12:47 | webmd.com | 4 MB |
| 19:15 | reddit.com | 86 MB |
| 23:40 | a dating app | 12 MB |
| Time | Site | Data |
|---|---|---|
| 08:02 | VPN server | 1.2 GB |
| 12:47 | VPN server | 4 MB |
| 19:15 | VPN server | 86 MB |
| 23:40 | VPN server | 12 MB |
Four VPNs that keep your browsing from your provider
The providers we cover, in alphabetical order. This is not a ranking, and we have not published firsthand tests.
NordVPNKill switch and split tunneling listed
- Traffic controls
- Kill switch and split tunneling listed
- Additional routing
- Double VPN listed
Proton VPNUnlimited bandwidth stated
- Free plan
- Unlimited bandwidth stated
- Apps
- Open-source apps described
SurfsharkUnlimited simultaneous connections advertised
- Connections
- Unlimited simultaneous connections advertised
- Traffic controls
- Bypasser split tunneling listed
Current provider links are non-affiliate links. We do not earn from them. How links work
What is an ISP?
An internet service provider (ISP) is the company that connects your home, office or phone to the internet, and the one you pay for it. Comcast's Xfinity, Spectrum, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are ISPs. Every public IP address belongs to one, which is how this page can name yours.
Your ISP
- Brings the connection to your home or phone
- Gives you your public IP address
- Carries every bit of traffic you send
Your router and Wi-Fi
- The box at home and its wireless signal
- Shares one connection between your devices
- Can be yours or rented from the ISP
ISPs reach you in different ways: cable, fiber, DSL over a phone line, 5G or fixed wireless home internet, satellite such as Starlink, or mobile data on your phone. The type affects speed and price, but every one of them can see the same things about your browsing.
Why the name here might not match your bill
Tools like this read who owns the network your IP belongs to. That is often the parent company, not the brand on your bill.
| If you see | It usually means |
|---|---|
| Comcast Cable Communications | You have Xfinity |
| Charter Communications | You have Spectrum |
| Cox Communications | You have Spectrum |
| Verizon Business | You are on Verizon |
| Cablevision Systems | You have Optimum |
| Windstream Communications | You have Kinetic |
| Space Exploration Technologies | You have Starlink |
| Cable One | You have Sparklight |
| Amazon, Google, Cloudflare, Akamai or a hosting company | A VPN, proxy, iCloud Private Relay or a company network is in the way |
| Your employer or university | You are on a work or campus network |
Smaller providers sometimes rent lines from a bigger one, so the network owner shown here can be a wholesale company you have never dealt with. This tool names the brand only for the 90 networks on our list of provider networks, each with a source.
What your ISP can see, and what it cannot
Your provider carries all your traffic, so it sees where it goes. Encryption on secure (HTTPS) sites hides what is inside.
- Can see
- The name of every site and app server you connect to, when, for how long, and how much data. On mobile, roughly where you are.
- Cannot see
- The pages you read, what you type, passwords and messages on HTTPS sites and encrypted apps.
- With a VPN
- Only that you are connected to a VPN server, when, and how much data. Not the sites.
What providers do with that data matters. In the US, Congress overturned the FCC's broadband privacy rules in 2017, before their main protections took effect. A 2021 FTC staff report on six large providers found that at least three combine some mix of personal, app and browsing data for advertising, and two use browsing data to target ads.
How to stop your ISP seeing your browsing
| Method | Hides sites from your ISP | Covers every app | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| VPN | Yes | Yes | Paid subscription |
| Encrypted DNS | Partly: hides lookups, site names can still show | Depends on setup | Free |
| Tor Browser | Yes | No, that browser only | Free |
| Incognito mode | No | No | Free |
A VPN is the only one of these that hides every site and every app from your provider without slowing you to a crawl. The providers we cover are listed above.
Is your ISP throttling you?
Throttling means your provider deliberately slows some traffic, often video, or all traffic after a data limit. In January 2025 a US federal appeals court struck down the FCC's 2024 net neutrality rules, so there is no federal net neutrality rule against it, though providers must still publicly disclose any throttling they do. Some states, such as California and Washington, have their own laws against slowing traffic because of the site, app or service you use.
- Run a speed test with your VPN off.
- Connect to a nearby VPN server and run the same test.
- Play the same video with and without the VPN.
If one kind of traffic is clearly faster through the VPN, your provider is probably slowing it. A VPN hides what the traffic is, so it cannot be singled out.
Other ways to find your ISP
Router
- On your home network, open your router's admin page in a browser. The address depends on the device: for example 10.0.0.1 on Xfinity gateways, 192.168.1.254 on AT&T gateways, or tplinkwifi.net on TP-Link routers.
- Newer Xfinity gateways need Admin Tool access turned on in the Xfinity app first.
- Find the internet or WAN status page. It may list only connection details such as IP and DNS addresses, not the provider's name. If so, check your bill.
Admin page addresses vary by router. Sources: Xfinity Support: Admin Tool access, AT&T Support: gateway settings and TP-Link Support: log in to your router (non-affiliate sources), checked October 20, 2026.
Bill
- Find a recent internet bill, or the welcome email from when you signed up.
- The provider's name appears on it.
- No bill? Look for the monthly charge on your bank or card statement. If internet comes with your rent, ask your landlord or building manager.
General guidance. If a reseller sold you the plan, the company on the bill can differ from the network this tool names.
Phone
- On iPhone, open Settings, tap General, then tap About.
- Scroll down. Your carrier name and a version number appear next to Carrier.
- On Android, open Settings, tap About phone, then tap SIM status and check under Network.
Your carrier is your ISP while you're on mobile data. On Wi-Fi, your ISP is usually whoever provides that network, but an iPhone with Connectivity Assist turned on can use mobile data when Wi-Fi is slow or unusable. Google says the Android steps work on most phones, so some phones may use different menu names. Sources: Apple Support: If you can't set up an eSIM on your iPhone, Apple Support: About Connectivity Assist and Android Help: Contact your device manufacturer or mobile carrier (non-affiliate sources), checked October 20, 2026.
Questions people ask about their ISP
Is my ISP the same as my Wi-Fi provider?
Usually, yes. Wi-Fi is just the wireless link between your devices and your router. The company that brings the internet to that router, and that you pay each month, is your ISP. Public Wi-Fi in a café or hotel uses that venue's ISP, which is why this page changes when you switch networks.
Why does it say Cloudflare, Amazon or Google instead of my provider?
Your traffic is leaving through someone else's network. That happens with a VPN, a proxy, Apple's iCloud Private Relay, Cloudflare WARP, or a company network that routes through a cloud service. Turn those off and reload to see your real provider.
Can my ISP see my browsing history in incognito mode?
Usually, yes. Incognito mode stops your browser from keeping your history, cookies and site data on your device once the session ends. Google's Chrome Help says your internet provider may still be able to see your activity. A VPN is what hides the site names from your provider.
Can my ISP see what I do if I use a VPN?
It can see that you are connected to a VPN server, when, and how much data you use. It cannot see which sites you visit or what you do on them, as long as the VPN does not leak. You can check for leaks with our What is my IP tool.
Does my ISP sell my data?
It depends on the provider and your settings. In the US, Congress overturned the FCC's broadband privacy rules in 2017 before their main protections took effect, and a 2021 FTC staff report on six large providers found at least three combine personal, app or browsing data for advertising. Check your provider's privacy settings, which may let you opt out.
Is my ISP throttling my internet?
Run a speed test, then turn on a VPN and run it again on the same server. If one service, such as video streaming, is clearly faster through the VPN, your provider is probably slowing that kind of traffic. In January 2025 a US federal appeals court struck down the FCC's net neutrality rules, so there is no federal net neutrality rule against it.
What is an ASN?
An Autonomous System Number identifies one network on the internet, such as your provider's. Every public IP belongs to an ASN, which is how this tool knows who your provider is.
Do you store my details?
No. Your IP and provider are read when the page loads, shown to you, and not saved or logged by VPN Brief. The hostname comes from a reverse DNS lookup through Cloudflare's public resolver, as our privacy policy explains.
More privacy tools
Maintained by Thomas Grant, an editorial pen name used by VPN Brief
Provider and network data come from Cloudflare's edge network. Brand names come from our list of 90 provider networks, checked October 20, 2026, and data center and VPN networks from a separate sourced list. Legal facts link to their sources. Our publication standards.
How this free tool is funded.
The provider links on this page are non-affiliate links, so we do not earn from them today. If a link starts earning a commission, we will label it and update this note.
Commercial terms never change the result you see above. Read our affiliate disclosure.