WHOIS
Lookup an IP or domain. Uses IANA referral first, then registry WHOIS.
### IANA response (whois.iana.org)
% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object
refer: whois.afrinic.net
inetnum: 41.0.0.0 - 41.255.255.255
organisation: AFRINIC
status: ALLOCATED
whois: whois.afrinic.net
changed: 2005-04
source: IANA
### Registry response (whois.afrinic.net)
% This is the AfriNIC Whois server.
% The AFRINIC whois database is subject to the following terms of Use. See https://afrinic.net/whois/terms
% Note: this output has been filtered.
% To receive output for a database update, use the "-B" flag.
% Information related to '41.78.84.0 - 41.78.87.255'
% No abuse contact registered for 41.78.84.0 - 41.78.87.255
inetnum: 41.78.84.0 - 41.78.87.255
netname: AFCOMSL-20100322
descr: Afcom Sierra Leone
country: SL
org: ORG-AL2-AFRINIC
admin-c: AS45-AFRINIC
tech-c: AS45-AFRINIC
status: ALLOCATED PA
mnt-by: AFRINIC-HM-MNT
mnt-lower: AFCOM-MNT
mnt-domains: AFCOM-MNT
source: AFRINIC # Filtered
parent: 41.0.0.0 - 41.255.255.255
organisation: ORG-AL2-AFRINIC
org-name: Afcom (SL) Limited
org-type: LIR
country: SL
address: 28b Beach Road
address: Lumley
address: Freetown
phone: tel:+1-301-674-8733
phone: tel:+232-79-911911
fax-no: tel:+1-301-773-1180
admin-c: AS45-AFRINIC
tech-c: AS45-AFRINIC
mnt-ref: AFRINIC-HM-MNT
mnt-ref: AFCOM-MNT
mnt-by: AFRINIC-HM-MNT
source: AFRINIC # Filtered
person: Adel Suliman
address: 28b Beach Road
Lumley
Freetown
Sierra Leone
phone: tel:+232-77-776666
fax-no: tel:+232-77-776666
nic-hdl: AS45-AFRINIC
remarks: Managing Director
mnt-by: GENERATED-LERUCFIPLB2PHKI2XQ0GHNE0Q8IYQT5M-MNT
source: AFRINIC # Filtered
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WHOIS?
WHOIS is a protocol that queries databases to find the registered owner of a domain name or IP address. It reveals the registrar, registration dates, nameservers, and contact information associated with a domain or IP block.
Is WHOIS data always accurate?
Not always. Many domain registrars offer WHOIS privacy protection that replaces the registrant's personal details with proxy information. IP WHOIS data from Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) is generally more reliable than domain WHOIS data.
Can I use WHOIS to find who owns an IP address?
Yes. Enter any IP address into the WHOIS tool to find the organization that owns the IP block, the Regional Internet Registry (ARIN, RIPE, APNIC, etc.) that allocated it, and the network range it belongs to.
What is the difference between domain WHOIS and IP WHOIS?
Domain WHOIS shows registration details like the registrar, creation date, expiry date, and nameservers. IP WHOIS shows the network allocation, the organization that owns the IP block, and the abuse contact for reporting issues.
Why does WHOIS show privacy protection instead of real details?
Domain registrars offer WHOIS privacy services to protect registrants from spam, identity theft, and unwanted contact. GDPR regulations in Europe also require redaction of personal data from WHOIS records.
How often is WHOIS data updated?
WHOIS data is updated by the registrar or registry whenever changes are made to a domain or IP registration. Our tool queries the authoritative WHOIS server in real-time, with results cached for 7 days to reduce server load.
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