What Is My ISP? How to Find Your Internet Provider
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is the company connecting you to the internet. It controls your speed, assigns your IP, and can see most of what you do online. Here's how to identify yours and what that actually means.
Quick answer
An ISP (Internet Service Provider) is the company that connects you to the internet — like Comcast, Spectrum, Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile. To find yours: visit scanmyipaddress.com and your ISP name appears with your IP details. Your ISP knows your real identity (you pay them), assigns your public IP, and can see which websites you visit.
What is an ISP?
An Internet Service Provider is the company that gives you access to the internet. Without them, your devices would have no way to reach any website, app, or online service.
Your ISP provides:
- A physical connection — cable, fiber, DSL, satellite, or cellular signal
- A public IP address — the address other internet servers use to send you data
- DNS servers — the directories that translate "google.com" into routable IP addresses
- Bandwidth — the speed limit on how much data you can transfer
- Network routing — the path your traffic takes to reach destinations across the internet
You're paying them every month for these services. Common ISPs in the US include Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, AT&T, Verizon Fios, Cox, CenturyLink, Frontier, and T-Mobile. Mobile data is provided by cellular ISPs — the big three (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) plus smaller carriers like Mint Mobile and Cricket.
How to find your ISP
There are several easy ways to identify your ISP:
1. Use an IP lookup tool (fastest)
Visit scanmyipaddress.com — your ISP name is shown automatically in the "ISP / Network" detail card. This works because your public IP is registered to your ISP, and that registration data is public.
2. Check your internet bill
The company name on your monthly internet bill is your ISP. If you're using your apartment's included internet or living with someone else, this works too.
3. Look at your router or modem
Most ISPs put their branding on the modem they provide (Xfinity, Verizon, Spectrum logos are common). The device label may also list a customer service number you can call.
4. Use a command-line tool
On any computer, you can run a "traceroute" command to see the path your traffic takes. The first hops are typically through your ISP's network. On Windows, open Command Prompt and type tracert google.com. On Mac/Linux, open Terminal and type traceroute google.com.
Useful tip: If you're on cellular data, your "ISP" is your mobile carrier. The IP your phone shows will be Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile (or their smaller resellers) rather than your home internet provider.
What your ISP actually does
Behind the scenes, your ISP does much more than just connect you to the internet. Here's the basic flow when you visit a website:
- You type "example.com" in your browser
- Your device asks your ISP's DNS server for the IP address of example.com
- The DNS server returns the IP — like 93.184.216.34
- Your device sends the request through your ISP's network toward that IP
- Your ISP routes the request through intermediate networks until it reaches the destination
- The response travels back the reverse path through your ISP to your device
Every step involves your ISP. They see which sites you ask DNS questions about, they route every byte of data you send and receive, and they assign the IP address you use to reach the internet.
What your ISP can see about you
Because your ISP handles all your traffic, they can see quite a lot. Here's what's visible to them and what isn't:
What your ISP CAN see
- Every domain you connect to — google.com, scanmyipaddress.com, netflix.com, etc.
- How long you spent at each domain — based on connection duration
- How much data you used — both downloaded and uploaded
- When you're online — activity patterns throughout the day
- What devices you use — via MAC addresses on your local network and connection patterns
- Your approximate location — from your physical service address (they literally installed your line)
- Your real identity — you signed up with them using your real name and address
What your ISP CANNOT see (usually)
- The specific content on HTTPS sites — encryption blocks them from reading the actual page content, form submissions, or messages
- Which specific pages you view on a site (just that you visited the domain)
- Your login credentials on encrypted sites
- Encrypted messages sent via Signal, WhatsApp, iMessage, etc.
The shift to HTTPS-everywhere over the past decade has dramatically reduced what ISPs can read — but they still know exactly which sites you visit and when.
Types of ISPs
Not all ISPs work the same way. The technology they use affects your speed, reliability, and cost.
Cable
Uses the same coaxial cables that deliver TV. Common providers: Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox, Mediacom. Typical speeds: 100 Mbps to 1.2 Gbps download. Often slower upload speeds. Connection is shared with neighbors, so speeds can drop during peak hours.
Fiber
Uses fiber-optic cables for both download and upload. Common providers: Verizon Fios, AT&T Fiber, Google Fiber, Frontier Fiber, Ziply. Typical speeds: 300 Mbps to 5+ Gbps symmetrical. Fastest and most reliable, but limited geographic availability.
DSL
Uses traditional phone lines. Common providers: CenturyLink, Frontier DSL, AT&T DSL. Typical speeds: 5 to 100 Mbps. Older technology, increasingly being phased out in favor of fiber.
Cellular (5G/4G)
Uses mobile cellular networks. Common providers: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, Verizon 5G Home, AT&T Internet Air. Typical speeds: 50 to 500 Mbps. Great for areas without fiber/cable, but performance varies by signal strength.
Satellite
Uses satellites in orbit. Common providers: Starlink, HughesNet, Viasat. Typical speeds: 25 to 250 Mbps. Available almost anywhere on Earth, including rural and remote areas. Starlink is much faster and lower-latency than older geostationary satellite providers.
Fixed wireless
Uses radio signals from a local tower. Common providers: regional WISPs (wireless ISPs). Typical speeds: 25 to 100 Mbps. Often the only option in rural areas without fiber or cable.
How to hide your activity from your ISP
If you're uncomfortable with your ISP seeing everything you do online, there are real options. Each comes with trade-offs.
Use a VPN
A VPN encrypts all your traffic and sends it through a remote server. Your ISP can only see that you're connected to a VPN — not which sites you visit. This is the most common and easiest method. See our guide to VPNs for honest recommendations.
Use Tor
Tor routes your traffic through three different volunteer-run relays before reaching the destination. Your ISP only sees that you're using Tor. Stronger privacy than a VPN but much slower, and many sites block Tor traffic.
Switch DNS providers
Your ISP's DNS server logs every domain you look up. Switching to a privacy-focused DNS provider (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Quad9, NextDNS) hides domain lookups from your ISP. This doesn't hide which IPs you connect to, but it removes one major data point. See our upcoming DNS server guide for setup instructions.
Use HTTPS-only mode
This doesn't hide which sites you visit, but it does prevent your ISP from seeing the content. Most browsers now offer an "HTTPS-only" mode that refuses to connect to unencrypted sites. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge it's in the security/privacy settings.
Reality check: No single tool makes you fully invisible. Your ISP always knows you exist and that you're paying for internet. The realistic goal is reducing what they can collect and monetize about your specific browsing — not becoming a digital ghost.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ISP?
An ISP (Internet Service Provider) is the company that connects your home, office, or mobile device to the internet. Examples include Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum, and T-Mobile in the US. Your ISP assigns your public IP address, routes your traffic, and can see every website you visit unless you use encryption like HTTPS or a VPN.
How do I find my ISP?
The easiest way is to visit scanmyipaddress.com — your ISP name is displayed automatically with your IP information. You can also check your bill, look at your modem/router for branding, or call the number on the device label.
Can my ISP see what I do online?
Yes, partially. Your ISP can see every domain you connect to (like google.com), how long you spend there, and how much data you use. They generally cannot see the specific pages you view or content you type on HTTPS-secured sites — just that you visited that domain.
Do ISPs sell my browsing data?
In the United States, ISPs are legally allowed to sell anonymized browsing data and many do. In the EU, GDPR prohibits this without explicit consent. To prevent your ISP from seeing your browsing, use a VPN — it encrypts your traffic so your ISP only sees that you're connected to the VPN server.
Can my ISP block websites?
Yes, technically. ISPs can block specific domains or IPs. In the US, this rarely happens for typical sites. In some countries, ISPs are required by law to block certain content (government censorship). VPNs can usually bypass these blocks.
Why does my ISP throttle my internet?
Some ISPs deliberately slow down specific types of traffic during peak hours (streaming, torrenting). This is called "throttling." A VPN can prevent throttling because your ISP can't tell what type of traffic is flowing through the VPN tunnel.
What's the difference between an ISP and a website host?
An ISP connects you (the user) to the internet. A website host (like AWS, Cloudflare, GoDaddy) stores and serves websites. They're different layers — one connects you to the internet, the other holds the content you access through that connection.