Datacenter vs Residential IPs

Not all IP addresses are created equal. Here's how to tell them apart.

The Two Main Types

Residential IPs

These are IP addresses assigned by Internet Service Providers to home users. When you connect through your home WiFi, you're using a residential IP.

Residential IPs are registered to ISPs like Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, or BT. They're associated with physical locations and real customer accounts.

Datacenter IPs

These IPs belong to cloud providers and hosting companies. They're used by servers, VPNs, proxies, and other infrastructure running in data centers.

When you use a VPN, you're typically getting a datacenter IP from the VPN provider's servers.

How to Tell the Difference

Look at the organization (ASN) associated with the IP:

• Residential: Shows consumer ISPs – Comcast, Spectrum, BT, Telstra, etc.
• Datacenter: Shows hosting providers – AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, OVH, etc.

Our IP lookup tool shows the organization for any IP address.

Why the Distinction Matters

For Website Operators

Some websites treat datacenter IPs differently than residential ones:

• Streaming services may block datacenter IPs to enforce geographic restrictions
• E-commerce sites might flag datacenter IPs for additional verification
• Rate limiting may be stricter for datacenter traffic

This isn't about blocking legitimate users—it's about recognizing that most regular users don't browse from AWS servers.

For VPN Users

If a website blocks VPN connections, they're usually detecting datacenter IPs. The VPN's server runs in a data center, so its IP gets flagged.

Some VPN providers offer "residential" IPs (routed through actual home connections), but these are less common and often more expensive.

Other IP Categories

Mobile IPs

Cellular carriers (Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Vodafone) have their own IP ranges. Mobile IPs often use CGNAT, meaning thousands of users share the same public IP.

Business IPs

Some ISPs offer business-class service with static IPs and different network characteristics. These are technically "residential" in terms of infrastructure but may be flagged as business.

Hosting/Cloud IPs

A subset of datacenter IPs specifically associated with web hosting. AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and similar services fall into this category.

IP Classification Services

Various databases categorize IPs into residential, datacenter, mobile, etc. They're not always accurate—a business using AWS for legitimate purposes might get incorrectly flagged. But they're useful for understanding traffic patterns.

Practical Example