> ipaddress.you_
Your IP

What Is My Hostname?

The reverse DNS (PTR) hostname for your public IP address, and what it says about your connection.

IPv4 ADDRESS
216.73.217.140
YOUR REVERSE DNS / HOSTNAME
Resolving…

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What Is Reverse DNS?

Normal (forward) DNS turns a name like example.com into an IP address. Reverse DNS does the opposite: it takes an IP address and returns the hostname mapped to it. That mapping lives in a PTR record, stored by whoever controls the IP block.

Because the block owner sets it, your reverse DNS usually reflects your ISP rather than you. Residential and mobile addresses often have a generic auto-generated name, or no PTR record at all, which is normal.

Forward DNS vs Reverse DNS

  • Forward DNS (A / AAAA): name to IP address. Anyone who owns a domain can set it.
  • Reverse DNS (PTR): IP address to name. Only the owner of the IP block can set it.

The two do not have to match, and a missing reverse record is common. Mail servers are the main place it matters: a valid PTR record that lines up with forward DNS helps outgoing email avoid being flagged as spam.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a hostname?
A hostname is a human-readable name for a device on a network, such as host-203-0-113-5.example-isp.net. DNS maps a hostname to an IP address; reverse DNS does the opposite, mapping an IP address back to a hostname.
What is reverse DNS or a PTR record?
Reverse DNS looks up the hostname associated with an IP address. It is stored in a PTR (pointer) record, which is the reverse of the normal A or AAAA record that maps a name to an address. Not every IP has one.
Why does my hostname show my ISP’s name?
PTR records are controlled by whoever owns the IP block, which is usually your ISP. Providers auto-generate generic names for residential addresses, often built from your IP and their domain, so the hostname reflects the ISP rather than you.
Why is my hostname blank or just my IP?
Many addresses, especially residential and mobile ones, have no PTR record at all. That is completely normal and does not indicate a problem. When there is no record, the IP simply has no reverse DNS name.
Can I change my reverse DNS?
Only the owner of the IP block can set a PTR record. If you run a server on a static IP, your hosting provider can usually set custom reverse DNS for you. On a typical home connection you cannot change it yourself.
What is reverse DNS used for?
It is widely used by mail servers as an anti-spam signal, and by logging, monitoring and diagnostic tools to label IP addresses with readable names. A missing or mismatched PTR record can cause email from a server to be rejected.

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